Is this legal??

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I'm a private duty home health nurse employed by an agency. I work a couple of hours a day with my patient, then the aide comes in and completes the remainder of the shift (8hrs). My patient receives meds all day. She isn't competent to take her own pills due to dementia. The agency has the aide give the meds throughout the day but I am there only a couple of hours in the morning to administer the morning meds; when the aide arrives I leave. I know the law states aides are not supposed to give meds. What I would like to know is, how do I protect myself (my license) in this kind of situation? Is it legal that I give the aide instruction on how to give the meds? I don't want to be involved in the "she told me to do.." How about documentation? What do I document..? The way I see it is, I should only care what happens when I'm on my shift but it's kinda like the aides are under my license, if they make a mistake is it still on me? I'm so confused, under traineded and in need of answers..plz help:uhoh3:

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I would leave this situation. I was in a similar situation. The only licensed nurse, relieved by, and relieving, off the street, in home care givers, not even HHAs or CNAs. I was told that nothing that happened before I reported for duty or after I left the home was my concern. I knew better and was happier once I left the case.

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in ohio hha can not give (administer medications) but they may place the medication in reach of the patient and give "reminder" to take the medication.....

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I would leave this situation. I was in a similar situation. The only licensed nurse, relieved by, and relieving, off the street, in home care givers, not even HHAs or CNAs. I was told that nothing that happened before I reported for duty or after I left the home was my concern. I knew better and was happier once I left the case.

I'm trying to leave this situation as fast as I can but I'm not able to find any other form of employment at this time. I don't feel comfortable giving the aide's instructions on medication since I know it isn't their role to administer. I'm praying each and every day to get a better position, but at this point I'm trying to protect myself while there. Any advise on how I can CYA (cover your ass?)?

Also this agency is giving me assessment cases beginning next week. I'm a new nurse. Is there any rules and regulation I should know of, anyone??

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in ohio hha can not give (administer medications) but they may place the medication in reach of the patient and give "reminder" to take the medication.....

In my state as well!

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In both of the states I practice (WA & OR) a HHA can give most meds including via feeding tube and insulin as long as they have been appropriately trained and the delegation is in place and signed. HHAs performing delegated tasks are working "under" the license of the RN who did their delegation if the HHA screws up it's potentially the delegating RN's tail in a sling.

Perhaps being new to home health you aren't familiar with delegation.

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In both of the states I practice (WA & OR) a HHA can give most meds including via feeding tube and insulin as long as they have been appropriately trained and the delegation is in place and signed. HHAs performing delegated tasks are working "under" the license of the RN who did their delegation if the HHA screws up it's potentially the delegating RN's tail in a sling.

Perhaps being new to home health you aren't familiar with delegation.

I understand delegating certain tasks to unlicensed professionals but in my state, it isn't allowed to delegate prescribed medications. I'm doing the best I can to be informed because at the end of the day it's my butt on the line! :uhoh3::uhoh3::uhoh3:

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

Do not give instructions to the aide pertaining to any task outside the aide's scope of practice. If the aide has questions, refer her to the agency or the supervisor. In a similar situation, I was asked to provide instructions for an aide with regards to Rx administration. The aide was from another agency so I wasn't concerned about diplomacy and told them that they need to send a CMA which, to my surprise, they did.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

This has happened at my agency. Either the family gives the meds, or the meds are scheduled for times when a nurse is on duty.

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