LPN duties

[mstenpin]

Can anyone tell me what a LPN can or cannot do according to law? And does anyone know how to get the nurse practice act for LPNs?

[so alive LPN]

it varies from state to state. The BON for your state will be able to answer all questions. The resources tab at top will be able to guide you where you need to go. Hope that helps!

[sunnysideup09]

Here is Indiana state nurse practice act. It is very vague, so hospitals can have some differences, but still are within the practice act.

http://www.in.gov/pla/files/ISBN_2008_EDITION.pdf

[Gabby_101, BSN]

The only thing I know of at our hospital is that LPNs cannot go get blood from the lab. They can hang it and give it just cannot go get it from the lab. I work on an ECU so we don't see a whole lot of different everyday things but other than the blood thing they do everything an RN does.

[captncourageous98]

The hospital that I worked at the LPN could go get the blood from the pharmacy however two nurses had to check it and one of them had to be an RN. It took an RN to hang the blood and start it. I could chart that the blood was started by so and so, etc... There were a lot of medications that I could give that the RN's gave also. Most of the medications that I could not give were sedation med's and things you would only give in surgurey. Usually each hospital has there own list of medicines you can give. The jobs were basically the same except the RN has to chart on your patient atleast once per shift. I think that most hospitals are getting away from this with the advent of team nursing now. LPN's are pill pushers now. Atleast this is my experience. That is why I am returning for my RN.

Good Luck!

:0)

[NurseBreezy]

This is a very tricky question for me also. At my hospital, while I was still in LPN school, there was a policy that stated exactly what LPNs couldn't do When I started working as an LPN in the same hospital this policy dissapeared and I was told to "follow the nurse practice act". However, these skills are not outlined in the practice act so I am sort of left in limbo.

[spider11]

At the hospital where I work, I cannot monitor blood for the first 15min. An RN must do that. I also cannot do the initial physical assessment for a new admission. I cannot note my own orders either. Other than that.....I take care of critical patients on vents, drips, etc. But...I make MUCH less than an RN. Needless to say, I graduate with my RN in May. :)