Is this even allowed?

[wish_me_luck, BSN, RN]

Hey,

So there's a position with PP that I am interested in. It's not a nurse position, but a healthcare assistant. I was reading the description of duties and responsibilities. One of them was educating the patient about abortion procedures/surgical procedures and obtaining informed consent...that's usually what a nurse does. For the job you just need GED/high school diploma, CNA preferred. Is this allowed? I had no idea an MA/assistant could obtain informed consent.

I read that and thought "my goodness, why am I even jumping through the hoops of keeping my license for nursing if a person could essentially do what I would like to do--public health/community health, without a license?" I am going to hang on to the license, but I am just flabbergasted at the amount of work and scope of practice of an MA these days. It almost sounds like they are the new nurse or at least the new LPN (no offense intended, my lovely LPN friends.)

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Yes, patient education is within our scope of practice, but you don't have to have a license to provide health information. They are just delivering pre-approved script and handouts to the patient... not making any independent judgement or determining what type of care the patient will receive. It's all under the auspices of the physician/LIP who is leading that circus. As long as the unlicensed person does not do anything to make the patient believe that they are a nurse, it's OK.

Actually, this model (lay health educators) is used as an important part of public health outreach programs all over the world with a great deal of success, particularly effective for improving pre- and post-natal as well as infant & early childhood health.

[MInurse.st]

In Michigan there is a law that any woman getting an abortion must obtain a packet of information about their "options" written by the state and have this info for 24 hours before the abortion. This packet must be referred to as "informed consent" per the state. When they come in for their appointment, the front desk (health assistant) must make sure they have this packet and have had it for 24 hours. So, in a way, obtaining their "informed consent."

When it comes to the actual procedure, the MD meets with the patient prior to the procedure, goes over risks, etc. and obtains the actual informed consent, which results in a piece of paper signed by both the MD and patient.

[wish_me_luck, BSN, RN]

Sorry, I am dumb. I have just drilled into my brain that it's a nursing thing.

I was kidding with my mom today that apparently, what I really love in nursing (community/public health and community outreach) is not nursing. LOL. I feel like I need to fix mental health too.

[itsnowornever, BSN, RN]

OP---any chance you are a student? It's been ingrained that way because that's how you answer on NCLEX.

[wish_me_luck, BSN, RN]

No, I have my license. It could be though that it is ingrained since day one.

[itsnowornever, BSN, RN]

No I have my license. It could be though that it is ingrained since day one.[/quote']

I've seen MANY things that I didn't think we're allowed be done at my hospital :/ and I can't find a policy to permit it.

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

We were taught that informed consent is obtained by whoever will be doing the procedure.....so that usually means the physician or surgeon. I've never obtained informed consent as an RN, but have signed as the witness to it.

[sapphire18]

I agree that obtaining informed consent should be done by the MD performing the procedure, but they "make" us do it all the time. I HATE it and refuse to do it when I'm at all uncomfortable with it.

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

I've never had a doctor or surgeon suggest that I get informed consent. Maybe it's regional: it's pretty well accepted here that only the individual performing the procedure obtains informed consent.

[pockunit, ADN, RN]

At my PP, the CMAs and LPNs can do pretty much everything but prescribe, take verbal orders or dispense meds. Our CMA bags up prescriptions and then we do the dispensing (in the EMR). The CMA can *give* the meds and educate the pt, though. It's all about scope of practice in your state. So if a client comes in for chlamydia tx, the CMA can do everything but the computer word to dispense the med. It probably differs between affiliates, though.

[BrnEyedGirl, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

Getting "informed consent", the actual signature, is really just witnessing that the patient signed the form stating that the physician has explained the procedure, the risks and benefits and that the patient has no further questions. As long as the physician has actually had this discussion with the patient anyone can sign as a witness.