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

Nurses General Nursing

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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.

In my state LPNs cannot take verbal or telephone orders.

Wow That to me, is Unreal!! I have worked in Ca, Ga, & Fl as an LPN, took T.O. and V.O. carried them out without any problem what so ever! Been doing it for 15 years now and never had a problem!!

Now that goes under the thread "nursing petpeeves" why can't an LPN take and carry out a telephone order????

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.

Yeah!!! I can't tell you how many RN's I have trained!!! ALSO.... If I take a telephone order I carry it out to the fullest possible extent!

I think it varies from state to state. In CT, LPN's are not permitted to take TO/VO. As for medications, they are also not allowed to push anything IV, or hang antihypertensives.

Yeah!!! I can't tell you how many RN's I have trained!!! ALSO.... If I take a telephone order I carry it out to the fullest possible extent!

Really, as an LPN you train RNs, how interesting, do they play fetch and roll over for you. I always thought RNs received their training within college or university program.

Any new nurse, whether they are LPN or an RN, is going to learn and benefit from the experience and education of those they work with. When we were all new, whether we were LPNs or RNs, we relied on the experience and education provided by our colleagues, even if we were initially precepted by one person in particular.

There's a difference between acclimating new employees to a work environment or practice setting and "training" nurses. Orientation is also not the same as "training". Precepting is not the same as "training." A nurse's training is done through the institute they graduated from, not from the people they work with.

:deadhorse

Specializes in Acute,Subacute,Long-term Care.

i'm from nebraska, as a lpn, i'm not allowed in a hospital setting to take to/vo orders and write them. in ltc we are able to do so. i think its rediculous as we were taught how to do it.

wanda/ne

Specializes in LTC.
In IL - LPN's can't take telephone or verbal orders either!

Wow...no disrespect to you, but that's crazy; how on earth does anything get done, esp. in nursing homes???

In WI, LPN's take TOs and VOs, in LTC. I was the only nurse in the building in one facility I worked, with an RN on call.We become IV certified, we give any med PO or IV or IM ordered by a doctor.

In WI, LPN's take TOs and VOs, in LTC. I was the only nurse in the building in one facility I worked, with an RN on call.We become IV certified, we give any med PO or IV or IM ordered by a doctor.

And this, IMHO, is abuse of LPN's. You do darned near the same things RN's do for considerably less pay. Yeah, you go to school for a shorter period, sometimes 3 years shorter, but the same work is expected of you. I'm glad you can do it but think the pay is not fair for you.

Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
Really, as an LPN you train RNs, how interesting, do they play fetch and roll over for you. I always thought RNs received their training within college or university program.

Whoa! Not nice :uhoh21:

RN's do receive their training in school but they have a preceptorship period when starting their job. The nurse chosen by the NM to precept the new grad is very often an LPN.

There's a difference between acclimating new employees to a work environment or practice setting and "training" nurses. Orientation is also not the same as "training". Precepting is not the same as "training." A nurse's training is done through the institute they graduated from, not from the people they work with.

I worked as a preceptor for years and I did have to train the new nurses. In school they learn "why" but not always "how to". I trained new grads to start IV's, time management, how some of the meds are given (esp diluting IV meds), hanging blood, PCA pumps and the list goes on.

In TN the LPN's job descriptions are identical to RN's except for 2 items. LPN's cannot do charge and LPN's cannot spike blood. They can run the blood just not initial spike. The rest is exactly the same. They take orders, push all IV meds, etc...the LPN's are just as professional and functional as the RN's. The big difference is they don't get paid the same for doing the same job but I have no problem with that because I know what it cost me in time and money to get my RN.

Specializes in Operating Room Nursing.

So an RN in the US can take a telephone order for say a drug order and then just write it in and give it?

In Australia we have to have another nurse, one has to be an RN the other can be RN or EN (equivalant of LPN) verify the order by listening to it. When we write it up both nurses have to sign it.

Yeah!!! I can't tell you how many RN's I have trained!!! ALSO.... If I take a telephone order I carry it out to the fullest possible extent!

and kudos for you cause i know its not easy- i have seen RNs degrade and belittle and plain out ignore instruction and teaching and training from LPNs - you are very valuable in my book :)

i will say some of my best TRAINING has come from some very exprienced LPNs who had more of a clue and knew more than any RNs that should have trained me at the time but delegated the task because they were " to busy" to psare a moment to train me to do trach care, put in an NG ( and yes we learned it in school but it is NOT the same as learning it in the real world and practicing till perfect so to speak ) .

i am sad for the posts i see that say LPNS do not, can not or should not, train cause you know they wuold not listen and learn from an LPN just because they feel the LPN is not allowed or capable or whatever thier excuse is........ they are misising out on valuable lessons to learn.... just my 2 cents

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