Is it legal to work as an aid while you are an RN

LeChien, BSN, RN · Jun 30, 2016

How would it not be legal for you to remain an aide until your manager returns?

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Jun 30, 2016

It depends what state you're in. In my state you cannot work as an aide once you are an RN because you are not working in the correct scope of your license. We've had aides that had to quit working once they passed their NCLEX. You should contact your BON.

Rn 1979 · Jun 30, 2016

Some nurses on my floor make me feel like I'm doing something wrong and they were telling me that I can't work as an aid now and they make me feel skeptical.

Rn 1979 · Jun 30, 2016

I live in Ohio state

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Jun 30, 2016

Here's the crux of the problem. Even if you are showing up at work to fill a CNA slot, you are professionally obligated to function with all the expectations of your license. So - what happens if you end up discovering something is happening with your patient that has not been noticed or appreciated by the RN you're working with? As an RN, you must initiate an appropriate intervention - what if this is in conflict with the RN who is supposed to be 'supervising' you? What if - God forbid - you must initiate an emergency response or resuscitation because of an acute patient change that was not noticed by the RN?

If you haven't been officially employed as an RN, you probably don't have access to the Pyxis or other essential supplies - you are limited in what you are allowed to document. What is the position of the employing hospital? Yikes! It's a convoluted mess. Since your manager is not available, I urge you to talk to whoever is covering for her in her absence. If all else fails, go up the chain of command & use your HR resources.

Congratulations on your accomplishments. Your manager must believe that you are terrific also,or you wouldn't have been offered a job so quickly.

ArtClassRN, ADN, RN · Jun 30, 2016

What if - God forbid - you must initiate an emergency response or resuscitation because of an acute patient change that was not noticed by the RN?

CPR is within the scope of laypersons. An NA who recently passed the NCLEX can certainly function in that role properly.

Further, a newly minted RN working as an NA is trained in basically nothing. They can do their job within their scope as an NA perfectly fine. It's not like new RNs clamber around running codes.

Extra Pickles · Jun 30, 2016

I don't think the state you're in matters at all, everything within an aide's job functions fall within the scope of practice of an RN. Everything. The trouble, if there's trouble, is that an RN who works the job of an aide still has to meet all the expectations of an RN scope of practice while doing it. It means that the RN who is supposed to only be doing hygiene and ADLs must now be caring for the patient as an RN and that would be more work than reasonable and less pay than reasonable. Not to mention the question of who is really responsible for that patient, the RN assigned or the RN Aide assigned?

It's not illegal for an RN to work as an aide, it just has a lot of complications that make it not worth the aggravation.

DeeAngel · Jun 30, 2016

You can work as an aide while being an RN for as long as you wish. Once you pass the boards though you are held to the standards of the RN license, not a CNA license, even if you are working as a CNA.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Jun 30, 2016

This is touchy.

You are certainly able to function in the aide role. As others have pointed out, though, you will be held to the RN standards now that you are an RN.

As someone else said, though, you have not been trained and oriented as an RN by the employer. So...???

And if you ask if you could or should take some time off, you might point out inadvertently that your manager goofed up somehow.

No easy answers, sorry.

Congrats on passing and let us know what you decide to do.

Rn 1979 · Jun 30, 2016

It's very touchy to me to be honest because I don't know what to do. I did email my manger but of course he wont answer since he's in vacation, beside this literally I almost work everyday for the next two weeks. I'll try to contact whoever covering for my boss tomorrow and see how it will work.

NotAllWhoWandeRN, ASN, RN · Jun 30, 2016

Here's the crux of the problem. Even if you are showing up at work to fill a CNA slot, you are professionally obligated to function with all the expectations of your license. So - what happens if you end up discovering something is happening with your patient that has not been noticed or appreciated by the RN you're working with? As an RN, you must initiate an appropriate intervention - what if this is in conflict with the RN who is supposed to be 'supervising' you? What if - God forbid - you must initiate an emergency response or resuscitation because of an acute patient change that was not noticed by the RN?
If you haven't been officially employed as an RN, you probably don't have access to the Pyxis or other essential supplies - you are limited in what you are allowed to document. What is the position of the employing hospital? Yikes! It's a convoluted mess. Since your manager is not available, I urge you to talk to whoever is covering for her in her absence. If all else fails, go up the chain of command & use your HR resources.
Congratulations on your accomplishments. Your manager must believe that you are terrific also,or you wouldn't have been offered a job so quickly.

It makes sense that after licensure you're held to the RN level of responsibility, BUT, if you are working as a tech, you do really have the same responsibility as the nurse who has been assigned the care of that patient? If someone, as an experienced nurse working the floor, notices something wrong with another nurse's patient, it's not that person's responsibility to notify doctors or give meds, it's their responsibility to notify the assigned nurse and let them follow through. Wouldn't it be the same if you were working as a tech? Aside from critical situations where every moment matters, it seems to me that the assigned nurse would still be ultimately responsible for the patient's nursing care. If something is wrong, you notify the nurse and add a note to that effect. If something is really, terribly wrong, you also notify the charge nurse and add a note to that effect. Wouldn't that cover your backside?