LPN and IV therapy in LTM in NYS

[sportsmom84]

I am an RN in NYS and I'm hoping some NYS nurses out there can clarify some questions I have regarding IV therapy in LTC. I am new to LTC (16 months) after 30+ years in acute care. My facility wants to start an IV therapy program. We do not always have RN coverage for every shift. I have inquired with NYSED and have been told just the presence of a peripheral or central site warrants the necessity of an RN every shift. The RN is required to document every shift. I know not all long term care facilities follow these guidelines and I am curious how they get around these guidelines. My DON assures me that our sister facilities do not always have RN coverage and they do IV therapy. I am not sure I want to "get around" these guidelines and need some good hard evidence to bring back to my DON. Thank you for your help.

[SierraBravo]

This sums it up quite nicely. There must be an RN on duty at all times when IV therapy is being provided by the LPN.

NYS Nursing:Practice Information:RN & LPN Practice Issues:Practice of IV Therapy Long Term

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

I don't work LTC but do work with an LPN in NYS. She can initiate fluids or IV antibiotics with a peripheral line but no IV pushes. She can't touch centrals. An RN is always covering her, we have to sign off on her assessments.

[guest114]

I'm glad you brought this up because I am an LPN and I had a patient who was started on IV rocephin once a day at 9am...I was told that because the RN initiated the peripheral IV and started the first round of antibiotic that I could do it from there on out...all I had to do was mix the rocephin with the bag of saline hang it , prime the tube , scrub the hub! and hook the IV up at the appropriate rate and make sure everything looked good. I was told I was allowed to do this at this facility, and remember being told this is in our scope of practice in school but I could be wrong....either way I was able to safely complete the procedure and my patient is doing much better :)