LPN IV Push

Nurses General Nursing

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Good day one and all. Does your facility have a policy that limits the drugs that an LPN can give IV after attending an IV push class? I have polled several hospitals in our area and had a variety of answers. Our facility has about 15 drugs the LPN can push. Other hospitals let them push everything with a few exceptions. How do you do it?

Atleast 1 hospital also let the LPN hang blood...

So... with proper education and credentials... we'll someday see CNA's doing the majority of nursing???

I think not...

The discrepancy between ADN and BSN education where I am is minscule... when compared to the education for LPN.... And our State apparently presents enough limits to their scope of practice that many fast-track it to the RN courses in a hurry....

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I joke around about the unimportance of having an RN however I would not be too happy about not having one, I only have a few years of exp. most of them being in critical care, I've posted b-4 that I float the house @ my small hosp. so I get to work everywhere. I agree that I only went to school for a year, but... add the critical care exp. I do have The staff and pt. depend on me to know what I am doing, I want to add that no I do not feel comfortable or safe pushing some drugs due to my lack of training in that area. and it is scary that the RN I mentioned earlier who has 20+ years of exp. looks to me and others to make decisions for her and in an emer. she is nowhere to be found. I think I would feel safer pushing meds. on those I love b-4 letting her do them, We all are nurses we all have a part to play the game just goes smoother when we all play on the same team. Besides I would hate to do all that extra paperwk I have the upmost respect for RNs I dont know if I could have taken another year of hell that people call nursing school love to all and to all happy pushes

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I hear ya, StressedLPN, and your story goes to show that RN after someone's name does not guarantee a comfort level with ALL types of nursing....she may come from a LTC or HHC background and is just a scared new kid in the hospital environment!.

I work with LPN's who are MUCH stronger than my RN coworkers. It's what the nurse does with their RN/LPN that counts. :)

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I agree with stressedlpn.......I will not go beyond my scope of practice for the position I am holding ....I graduated from a RN Program and I am awaiting to take my state boards....I work on my job currently as a LPN and I do not want to work RN License pending as I dont mind my position and when it comes time for a patient needing a IV push med I pleasantly go tell the RN. I will have plenty of time to push meds when I do pass my state boards......LOL....

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where I work lpn's can start iv's after they have taken the class and they can flush heplocks and hang ivpb but they cannot give any ivp meds and I work on a surgical floor and we give lots and lots of pain med's ivp. That can be frustrating sometimes, like the time I was in the room with a pt who had not voided in 8 hours and I was trying to stand the pt to help him void in the urinal and the lpn comes in and rattles the pt and room # and hands me the morphine vial and walks out, I was livid!!!

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This is quite interesting. To hear what LPN's can and cannot do from state-to-state is interesting.

I am a LVN (Licensed Vocation Nurse) here in California. I don't know about anywhere else, but the STATE governs what we can and cannot do, not the facility we are employed at.

My training lasted a little short of two years AND INCLUDED a summer session. My curriculum included 1,530 Total Hours: Theory - 576 Hours (includes Pharmacology - 54 Hours); Clinical -954 Hours. I was taught Anatomy & Physiology, Psychology

Pharmacology, Nursing Process, Communication, Patient Education

Nutrition, Normal Growth and Development, Rehabilitation Nursing, Maternity Nursing, Nursing Fundamentals,Pediatric Nursing, Medical/Surgical Nursing, Gerontological Nursing Supervision, Leadership and Communicable Disease including Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

I can perform blood transfussions and start IV lines, because I am IV Certified and the state says I can under that certification. I cannot hang IV antibiotics (Wierd, since I can transfuse?...Go figure). I cannot do IV pushes, but I can do SQ anything (Low molicular Lovenox comes to mind). I currently am employed in the med-surg unit, but rotate to the tele unit when needed, because of my ACLS certification. I cannot push cardiac meds, an RN "covers" me for nursing care that is out of my scope of practice.

What I find interesting is when RN's from other states comment that LVN's/LPN's are uneducated or "cannot do" what they do, when in fact, in some states LVN's are more trained by California's state standards versus some other states standards. Here, CNA's (Certified Nurses Assistant) collect and records all I/O's including JP's and chest vacums'. They can perform blood sugar levels and set up ekg's. They report abnormals to the assigned nurse. Keep in mind with all that I'm mentioning, the RN who is covering a team (LVN/CNA) is ultimately responsible for assuring patient care is orchestrated to par.

Am I so controlling that I do not "trust" that their education is not as extensive as mine? No. You can work with a dumb-dumb RN as fast as you can work with a dumb-dumb LVN. I can have a sharp RN cover me or a challenged RN cover me. I have to be educated enough to speak up when something is wrong with my patient. I'd take a smart "whatever" anyday over anyone who could potentially jepordize patient care delivery, (or my state licensure...for that matter).

Hope this helps clear up some misconceptions about us slovering- at-the-mouth, finger-in-one-ear, dumb founded looking, "what do I do with this" LVN's.

(Smile).

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Did I mention in California (Bay Area) LVN's start at $22-$32 bucks an hour, compaired to RN's at $34-$43 an hour? RN's are educated to do more and they're compensated to do more. Enough said.

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Specializes in surgical, neuro, education.

The nurse practice act for each state gives an outline of what is acceptable at each level of practice. There are some things that the practice act is firm on. IV practice is one of them. In NY I may not be able to do what an LPN in NC could do--but if I want to maintain my license I will do what my NPA states. Then to make things more complicated each individual institution will interpret the different aspects of the NPA. I work in one facility where the LPN's can't take off orders, but can implement them as soon as RN has signed. In the other institution that I teach at, the LPN's not only take off orders but are basically the unit managers (without official title of course)

Coming from the standpoint of a BSN who was a ADN and a LPN, I am glad that I did not do IVP meds when I was an LPN---I had no where near enough knowledge taught to me to deliver meds in this fashion. I am still very cautious even after 20 years. With a pill, I have time to counteract it, with IVPB I can stop infusion, with IVP what I give is what the patient gets. I watched a new grad RN give K+ IVP when I was a new grad LPN. The patient coded and died. I had never heard the risks of K+ in school. I now make sure all my LPN students understand the potential danger of giving any medication to their patients.

Sorry so long winded.:p

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Originally posted by kelrn

I was in the room with a pt who had not voided in 8 hours and I was trying to stand the pt to help him void in the urinal and the lpn comes in and rattles the pt and room # and hands me the morphine vial and walks out, I was livid!!!

I would have taken that lpn's hands... placed them on said patient and said, "sure I'll push this medication... YOU stay here with Patient NeedsToPee while I do."

Been there done that... I"ll not be disrespected in anyway, shape or form... and I would NEVER do the same thing to another Nurse... LPN, LVN, CNA or whomever!!

Peace:)

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Originally posted by rebelwaclause

This is quite interesting. To hear what LPN's can and cannot do from state-to-state is interesting.

I am a LVN (Licensed Vocation Nurse) here in California. I don't know about anywhere else, but the STATE governs what we can and cannot do, not the facility we are employed at.

My training lasted a little short of two years AND INCLUDED a summer session. My curriculum included 1,530 Total Hours: Theory - 576 Hours (includes Pharmacology - 54 Hours); Clinical -954 Hours. I was taught Anatomy & Physiology, Psychology

Pharmacology, Nursing Process, Communication, Patient Education

Nutrition, Normal Growth and Development, Rehabilitation Nursing, Maternity Nursing, Nursing Fundamentals,Pediatric Nursing, Medical/Surgical Nursing, Gerontological Nursing Supervision, Leadership and Communicable Disease including Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

I can perform blood transfussions and start IV lines, because I am IV Certified and the state says I can under that certification. I cannot hang IV antibiotics (Wierd, since I can transfuse?...Go figure). I cannot do IV pushes, but I can do SQ anything (Low molicular Lovenox comes to mind). I currently am employed in the med-surg unit, but rotate to the tele unit when needed, because of my ACLS certification. I cannot push cardiac meds, an RN "covers" me for nursing care that is out of my scope of practice.

What I find interesting is when RN's from other states comment that LVN's/LPN's are uneducated or "cannot do" what they do, when in fact, in some states LVN's are more trained by California's state standards versus some other states standards. Here, CNA's (Certified Nurses Assistant) collect and records all I/O's including JP's and chest vacums'. They can perform blood sugar levels and set up ekg's. They report abnormals to the assigned nurse. Keep in mind with all that I'm mentioning, the RN who is covering a team (LVN/CNA) is ultimately responsible for assuring patient care is orchestrated to par.

Am I so controlling that I do not "trust" that their education is not as extensive as mine? No. You can work with a dumb-dumb RN as fast as you can work with a dumb-dumb LVN. I can have a sharp RN cover me or a challenged RN cover me. I have to be educated enough to speak up when something is wrong with my patient. I'd take a smart "whatever" anyday over anyone who could potentially jepordize patient care delivery, (or my state licensure...for that matter).

Hope this helps clear up some misconceptions about us slovering- at-the-mouth, finger-in-one-ear, dumb founded looking, "what do I do with this" LVN's.

(Smile).

I WISH our LPN's were as educated and knowledgeble!!!! Would you please, please, PLEASE come and work with me????

Peace:)

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Originally posted by Fgr8Out

I WISH our LPN's were as educated and knowledgeble!!!! Would you please, please, PLEASE come and work with me????

Peace:)

Hehehehe...They (Your LPN's) are. They just haven't "tapped in" to the "I wanna know" in them yet.

And, I've always thought I'd be a traveler if/when I became an RN. Still not sold on becomming one yet...But when I do, I'll come work with you! (smile).

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Originally posted by rebelwaclause

Did I mention in California (Bay Area) LVN's start at $22-$32 bucks an hour, compaired to RN's at $34-$43 an hour? RN's are educated to do more and they're compensated to do more. Enough said.

;) I don't know of a nurse anywhere who are compensated enough for what they do. lots of love to all

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