LPN in trouble......

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

heres my question......are stna's allowed to do fingersticks?? so i was slammed @ work one day, go figure nobody offers help, so i had my stna do one fsbs for me. no insulin nothing like that, just a fingerstick. friday i get a phone call that im off the schedule until i speak to my don. i just cant imagine getting fired for that. i do my job and i do it good. if anybody knows the stna ohio scope of practice.....please help!!!:nono:

Good luck. I hope your boss is reasonable and doesn't throw the book at you or even worse fire you. Let us know how it goes.

In my training, CNA's are never allowed to do fingersticks.... I hope all works out the best for you. I don't think that you should get fired for one tiny incident. Anyways, the STNA should have recongized whether the procedure was in her scope of practice. I know the Responsibilities rests with the LPN, but all CNA's should know what they can and cannot do. Therefore, if they are delegated by the LPN to do a task and they know that that task is NOT in their scope of nursing, then the CNA should speak up. You said that the STNA knew how to do finger sticks, so it shouldn't be a problem. Let us know how it goes... Good luck... and God Bless. :):):):nurse:

Specializes in Telemetry.

The CNA's do all of the FSBS everywhere that I work. This is one task that I do not hesitate to delegate.

From an agency RN.

See if there is anything in the practice acts that don't allow this. If not, then bring a copy in along with a copy of the employee handbook that you have that also didn't say that this was a no-no. Just politely let the manager know that this is a delegatable task in many places and you were unaware that this was not acceptable here. You checked both the handbook and the practice act and there isn't anything prohibiting this. Let them know that you will not do it again, and will definitely check before delegating in the future.

Specializes in Med/Surg.

The trained CNA's and NT's do all the FSBS and blood draws where I work. Of course, RN and LPN CAN do them also! Trained is the key word. And there is no way a FSBS could be made up, you have to scan the meter with your badge, the results stay in the meter as well as are sent by computer to the pt's chart. You can scroll back in the meter and check the results as you do them. Or go to computer after the meter is downloaded. Of course RN's have to do blood draws on PICC's,ports, ect. Oh, I forgot to add after the staff scans in ,the pt's arm band is scanned also . I guess I shouldn't say that there is "no way" a FSBS could be made up, some people go to great lengths to get out of doing something right when it would take less time to do it right. I hope your policy states it clearly who can and who is trained for this task.

After they have been taught/demonstrated proper use-they can at my job.

Specializes in LTC.

Welp thanks for the replies. I went in today. They fired me and said they were going to report me to the BON. NICE. Merry christmas huh?? Geez you think maybe they couldve been like now you know but were gonna have to let you go. Not Im gonna report you to the BON. No excuse but I have only been a nurse for 7 months. O'well guess you live and learn. Im not really concerned about them reporting me to the BON, hopefully they see it as a easy mistake. I dunno I posted a thread a couple of months ago about this DON. I guess she really has it out for me. Lesson learned.:o

OMG! I can't believe they fired you for this. Like others have said, some facilities allow it. They could have just given you a warning. I am SO sorry.

As far as the BON issue, I doubt the BON has time for this kind of nonsense. The DON may have just been trying to freak you out or something.

Once again, I'm sorry this happened. Everything will work out in the end and you will probably be in a better place.

Good luck.

Welp thanks for the replies. I went in today. They fired me and said they were going to report me to the BON. NICE. Merry christmas huh?? Geez you think maybe they couldve been like now you know but were gonna have to let you go. Not Im gonna report you to the BON. No excuse but I have only been a nurse for 7 months. O'well guess you live and learn. Im not really concerned about them reporting me to the BON, hopefully they see it as a easy mistake. I dunno I posted a thread a couple of months ago about this DON. I guess she really has it out for me. Lesson learned.:o

Wow, just wow! The more I see posts like this the more I get nervous about my impending graduation...

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Our aides in the hospital have special training to do fingersticks, but you have to know the scope of practice of each person at your job before you delegate. I don't know of aides being able to do this at nursing homes, at least on my side of town. I would sincerely apologize, and make sure you get a copy of the scope of practice for CNAs and all unlicensed assistive personnel you work with. Good luck...I also know you meant no harm.

Thats is UNBELIEVABLE!!!!! A warning yes.....even a weeks suspension to make an example but to be fired for that...Do you know how many mistakes even a doctor makes? My sister has been in her job for 4 months and she has made some mistakes but all she got was spoken too with respect and how to avoid the mistake in the future. I hope you find a much better place to work. Keep your head up.

Jean

p.s. Did the aide get fired too ? If you know for a fact that other nurses have had her do it then I would not take this laying down.

Thats is UNBELIEVABLE!!!!! A warning yes.....even a weeks suspension to make an example but to be fired for that...Do you know how many mistakes even a doctor makes? My sister has been in her job for 4 months and she has made some mistakes but all she got was spoken too with respect and how to avoid the mistake in the future. I hope you find a much better place to work. Keep your head up.

Jean

p.s. Did the aide get fired too ? If you know for a fact that other nurses have had her do it then I would not take this laying down.

Exactly! and not only did they fire her, they want to go after her license as well so that she no longer has the means to support herself in her chosen field. It's not like she had the CNA giving insulin. CBG's are a delegatable activity in many many places. Now maybe she should have checked with her manger to see if it was ok, but it isn't like she was asking the CNA to do something out of their scope of practice.

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