confused on lpn scope of practice

michelleicu · Mar 16, 2005

You may have to ask other medical assistants or those who used to be MA's. I don't know that much about it except I think that the programs are about equal in length so I'd say to do the LVN program. I believe that the pay is better and there are more areas you can work, MA's primarily work in outpatient settings, never seen one in inpatient hospital settings. Plus I think it's easier to keep going on for RN if you decide to do that later.

thanks for the input. :)

pediatriclpn · Mar 26, 2005

My advice, read the Nurse Practice Act for your state. Learn to get thru the legaleez. Because there are facilities that will ask for you to go above and beyond, and if you do, you are the one in trouble not them!

In PA, we are now finally allowed to take physician telephone verbal orders. It used to be only in an emergency, could we take a verbal telephone order. Rumor had it the RNs in the state were the ones who were holding this up. We are allowed to start IVs, but we can not push anything, except a heparin flush. We can not do TPN's, neoplastic agents, blood or blood products. But we can monitor a patient while the blood is infusing. We train parents to do sterile dressings on central lines, to do TPN's at home for their children. But a trained nurse (LPN) is not allowed. I don't get it, but oh well.

I have a friend who is an MA. Her training was 6 months. She was unable to find a job during the day for while her daughter was in school. Most MA jobs are in doctor's offices, health care clinics, etc. Her school hired her as an instructor. I was floored. MAs can be trained by other MAs to get their certification, and then can work as an MA in the field, or then train more MA

s, but LPN's can only be trained by RNs. It is a weird world we live in.

RN34TX · Mar 26, 2005

I can vouch for pediatriclpn. Years ago I lived in PA and was handed an LPN job description which included hanging TPN. I told the director of the facility (who wasn't even an RN, she was an RT) that the state practice act did not permit this, her response was "Well I allow my LPN's to do that here."

I didn't take the job, but I did fax her a copy of the page in the nurse practice act for PA that specifically mentioned TPN and underneath it wrote her a little note- "Please read this thoroughly prior to hiring your next LPN, it's not exclusively your decision to decide what they are allowed to do regardless of your director title. LPN's want to work in facilities where they feel safe knowing that their supervisors are current and knowledgeable on LPN scope of practice."

LPNer · Mar 26, 2005

I can vouch for pediatriclpn. Years ago I lived in PA and was handed an LPN job description which included hanging TPN. I told the director of the facility (who wasn't even an RN, she was an RT) that the state practice act did not permit this, her response was "Well I allow my LPN's to do that here."
I didn't take the job, but I did fax her a copy of the page in the nurse practice act for PA that specifically mentioned TPN and underneath it wrote her a little note- "Please read this thoroughly prior to hiring your next LPN, it's not exclusively your decision to decide what they are allowed to do regardless of your director title. LPN's want to work in facilities where they feel safe knowing that their supervisors are current and knowledgeable on LPN scope of practice."

LPNs used to be allowed to do central lines/TPN, etc. It was not against our scope to do so, it was up to the facility. Now, most states have included an IV therepy for LPNs and it is far more restrictive than what I practiced, legally, in years before that at my chosen facilities. Though I had worked at a hopsital where LPNs were not allowed to tough the IV, didn't stay at that place very long! Now, with the new scope, it is very restrictive for me back here in Ohio again. (different states, different scopes)

HOWEVER, I applaud you for sending her the current scope, apparently she hasn't kept up as well as she should have.