Identifying a skin issue

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can a registered nurse identify a skin concern as a skin burn based on appears and on the extent of  inflammation, redness, and 1st layer being torn off without a doctor diagnosis and until MD evaluation in a nursing home (person unable to tell you what happened)

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).

You can't call it a burn as that would be a medical diagnosis which (If you are not an NP) you are not qualified to make. You can however diagnose an alteration in skin integrity and if you feel abuse has occurred you can report to APS.

Hppy

 

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Would calling a skin concern "a burn" be any different from calling another skin concern a "rash", "blister", "acne", etc? Or would any of these nouns (or similar nouns) be considered a medical diagnosis? 

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Should leave documentation to describing skin concerns only in place of using nouns to avoid diagnosing.... Got it! 

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
MaggieSS said:

Should leave documentation to describing skin concerns only in place of using nouns to avoid diagnosing.... Got it! 

Yes that's correct, Because without seeing it what you desxribed could be many things. The first that comes to mind is a friction and shear injury. In which case I would throughly describe what I see and refer to appropriate physicisn for diagnosis and treatment. 

Hppy

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