I knew it wasn't right while I was doing it...

[SheriLynnRN]

Last night, towards the end of the shift, most of the staff was either in the report room taping or busy in their pts rooms. We didn't have a secretary, and the charge nurse was away from the desk. One of the LPN's was charting at the nurse's station. When I came around the corner, she was just hanging up the phone. She said, "That was Dr. Soandso. He wants the foley in 716 to come out at 5 am. I repeated it back to him. Will you write it for me?" I know that it wasn't the right thing to do, but I wrote it anyway, signing my own name after the doc's.

I guess we should have called him back and explained that the nurse who took the telephone order was an LPN, and isn't allowed to do so, but we didn't.

I know I was in the wrong, but I am frustrated at her too. She should have told the doc that she couldn't take the order and put him on hold for a minute to find an RN. I've seen her do this once before.

Does this happen where you work too? Just wondering.

[SlavicNurse]

So are you saying LPNs cannot take TOs? That is strange. I have worked in 5 different states and LPNs can do almost everything RNs can do with few exceptions. As a matter of fact, the facility I work at, our charge nurse is an LPN and has RNs working under her supervision.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Does this happen where you work too?

Yup, and both the LPN and RN were fired. I believe they were both reported to the state board of nursing as well. Let me ask you this. Did you follow up with this LPN and say something to her about not doing this again? If not, she's done it twice now. You can expect #3 to happen again and I'll be praying that you won't be the RN in charge of the patient involved. Someone is eventually going to report her for doing this on them and in her desperate attempt to save her own skin she's going to start naming names and you're going to have some explaining to do. I'm not suggesting that you confess because in all likelihood you will be fired and reported to the BON. Best you pray this LPN keeps her mouth shut and that you have a good relationship with her. If she were a not so nice person she could hold something like this over your head to intimidate you into doing things the way she wants.

[SheriLynnRN]

So are you saying LPNs cannot take TOs or DC foley caths? Either one surprises me, but I am just curious.

In my state LPNs cannot take verbal or telephone orders.

[SlavicNurse]

In my state LPNs cannot take verbal or telephone orders.

Just curious, what can LPNs do in your state?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

In IL - LPN's can't take telephone or verbal orders either!

[Lisa CCU RN, RN]

I don't get it, I worked LTC and the LPN's took phone orders and DC'ed caths.

[CHATSDALE]

this is so strange.

this such a part of the intergral part of the job...i guess in states with these types of regs then it would be beneficial for a hospital to go all rn if there are a sufficient number to do so

[KrisRNwannabe]

I am betting that the situation the OP is referring to occurred in a Hospital setting. things run alot differently in the hospital than they do in LTC. in michigan, I can take orders as a LPN in LTC, but no way in the hospital I work at.

[chaosRN, ASN, RN]

Wow. This is interesting. I don't work with LPN's just RN's. If you took the order, YOU wrote the order. If my charge nurse takes an order on my pt, I give her and order sheet so SHE can write the order. Like I said, I'm not familiar with LPN's, but we only write orders we take for ourselves.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

I don't get it, I worked LTC and the LPN's took phone orders and DC'ed caths.

Depends on what the facility policy is and what the state law allows. In the states I've worked LPNs can take orders in the nursing homes, but not in the acute hospitals.

[Nurseboy1]

As a matter of fact, the facility I work at, our charge nurse is an LPN and has RNs working under her supervision.

How does this fly with the practice act? RNs supervise LPNs not the other way around.