Flu Shots and LPNs

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I posted this last year and lost the responses. I am an LPN in New York City working in a hospital clinic (got my license last year). We are allowed to vaccinate patients with everything without the assessment of the RN except for flu and pneumococcal vaccines. I can't understand why, especially when I also work as a vaccination nurse for flu clinics for one agency where we have not had RNs present when we screen the patients.

I was told that there is an article in the state BON that says that these things have to be assessed by an RN (someone posted it to me last year, and I misplaced it). What is frustrating to me is this; we have entered flu season again, and because my hospital offers the vaccination for free with standing orders, we have a large influx of patients walking in for flu shots in addition to those that have appointments. These poor people have to wait as long as 5 hours for a shot. Most times, the RNs are so busy and many of them are frustrated that I have to come to them as many as 15 times a day for them to 'screen' the patients for the shots, and this takes a great deal of time, especially when we also have to teach, treat and interview patients. In fact, most times, the RN will tell me to ask the questions, they place the screening in the computer, and I am giving it to them without a real screening via RN to patient as it is supposed to be.

From what I remember reading in the nurse practice act, it stated that we work under the auspice of the RN, dentist, physician or physician assistant. Therefore, in my eye, if the order is placed in, (as in any other medication), we do have to see if it is safe to administer. If the patient does not fit the criteria for administration of any medication (such as digitalis, clonidine, anti-HTN meds), we have to tell the provider and they decide from there. I don't see the difference in flu vaccines, personally. Maybe if this was across the board in the other places I work, it would be different. Many times, at my other agencies, I am giving the flu shot when no RN is present in drug stores, supermarkets and corporations. If the client does not fit the bill, I do not give...period.

If anyone can give me the information again where this is a necessary procedure, I'd appreciate it. This is not an LPN-RN bash, this is just wanting to know. Thanks!