LPNs NOT Medicating??

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

I have been reading some posts where people are stating that as LPNs they are not allowed to medicate. This baffles me, because I am trying to imagine what the focus was in their nursing programs. Can anyone enlighten me?

Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiothoracics, VADs.
The only type of facility where LPNs/LVNs are NOT allowed to do the initial assessment is at the acute care hospital. However, LPNs are permitted to do all follow-up assessments in the hospital setting.

I have spent most of my short nursing career in nursing homes and LVNs are legally allowed to do the initial assessment when a patient is admitted to any type of extended care facility.

I wasn't trying to offend anyone - I have no experience with LPNs personally as we don't have them. However all my NCLEX-RN studying says "RNs cannot delegate assessment".

0 Votes
alot of hospitals are doing this. thats why LPN are not really needed.

:nono:

0 Votes
Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.
alot of hospitals are doing this. thats why LPN are not really needed.

I wouldn't use the terms 'not needed' because that is bound to offend somebody. I think is is more an issue of hospitals trying to phase out LPNs, and cutting costs in general. Why not hire a few RNs and a couple CNAs that pass most of the Meds in terms of the bottom dollar amount. I know in my area CNAs make next to nothing!Letting CNAs pass meds is an accident waiting to happen. Its unsafe practice in my book. Medication administration is the responsibility of a trained, licensed professional. A crash course in Med administration does not prepare you to react in cases such as medication overdoses, anaphylactic reactions, and drug toxicities. You need someone who has the proper knowledge base to make an assessment of whether a medication should be given or held, whether it has been effective, and whether the pt is having any adverse reactions.

0 Votes
Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

Ok now what hospitals are letting CNA's pass medications..... This is not a safe practice and that is why LVN's are needed.....

alot of hospitals are doing this. thats why LPN are not really needed.
0 Votes

I'm an LPN at a hospital in Florida where I administer Po,IM,sq,pr and most IV meds. I can hang any IV piggy back, push saline flushes, lasix/bumex, zofran, reglan, solumedrol/cortef, toradol, ect. through any IV acess, be it periph or central, i also draw blood form central lines and do IV starts, I'm the one all the nurses come to for their hard sticks. I hang blood after verifying it with an Rn. The only thing I cant do is push narcs, or cardiac meds ect. An RN is supposed to asses the pt every 24h or co-sign the LPNs assesment. In some hospitals in the area the LPNs push everything. I'm good at what I do, I cant wait until I graduate the RN program and get appreciated for what I do. Lets face it once I have RN behind my name my nursing skills are not going to raise to some superior level. I'm a good nurse because of my experience, my capacity to care for people and my love for what I do.

0 Votes
Specializes in LTC.

cant assess?? thats odd....we asssess every day where i work....the LPNs do more assessing than the RN's because all the RNs are on day shift. And we give meds 24/7 all kinds where i work. We start IV's, we flush piccs and central lines, catheters, all that good jazz. There are limits with IV pushes but in LTC from where Ive been the number one thing most likely to be pushed is D50 and thats used in emergency cases of hypoglycemia only. thus far Ive never had to do that yet but..who knows today is a new day.

0 Votes
The only type of facility where LPNs/LVNs are NOT allowed to do the initial assessment is at the acute care hospital. However, LPNs are permitted to do all follow-up assessments in the hospital setting.

I have spent most of my short nursing career in nursing homes and LVNs are legally allowed to do the initial assessment when a patient is admitted to any type of extended care facility.

Well, I guess I'm glad I work in Canada.

I do my initial assessments on fresh post-ops, ICU transfers and direct admits from the community in an Active Treatment setting

0 Votes

there seems to be alot of confusion about lpn and rn, well please refer to the nurse practice act in your state which will give great information on what each is allowed to do. many states use lpn for what they are legally allowed to do... in no state that i know of does a lpn assessment ever replace a rn assessment. nor should a lpn be a supervisor of rn is outside their scope of practice and is goes agst what is stated in npa, that is way if you don't know your scope of practice in your state read your nurse practice act,... yes lpn can do assessment and pass out meds, but the assessment done by lpn are only a initial done, the nurse process is done by the rn but due to the nursing shortage and some states trying to pass on the rn job function on others and pay them less many can now pass out medication.

get a copy of the npa and talk w/ your rn director,,, she does know the npa is there and why is there and used.

lpn are valuable in their duties and if you have any concern talk to those making these decision and make sure that lpn's are being used correctly, with regulation of compliance w/ the npa. :nurse:

0 Votes
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Im an LPN and I take pride in my strong assessment skills!I dont know why youd think LPNs do not assess.Its part of the nursing process.As for LPNs not passing medications,we needed to pass the NAPNES/OOPNES to be allowed to pass medications.And a separate IV course to work with the IVs.

I remember initiating this thread some years back. I don't understand why an LPN who successfully graduated from a nursing program that should have included pharmacology and medication administration should then have to take a seperate NAPNES/OOPNES in order to give meds. Yes, some have received a seperate course in IV therapy, but again, I have not seen the IV course being mandatory in our state...most that were hired at hospitals were trained then. The only time it was necessary to become IV certified was to start the inital peripheral line. This is New York...each state is different, I know.

0 Votes
I wasn't trying to offend anyone - I have no experience with LPNs personally as we don't have them. However all my NCLEX-RN studying says "RNs cannot delegate assessment".

Probably not the intital assessment(?) Lpn's can assess but can not decide on a nursing diagnosis, but can participate in the decision process and run there ideas by an RN about what there nursing diagnosis/care plan could be. We can not do an initial assessment, because of that. Dont know if it is like that in other states or not? Its a very interesting aspect.

Oh and scary enough, but we dont have to take a NAPNES test(?) to pass meds. If you arelicensed it is with in your scope of practice, IVs however are not and neither is hanging/spiking blood

0 Votes

If a pt requests prn tylenol for a HA an RN is supposed to assess. The lpn is not supposed to assess wounds, but the lpn CAN assess a wound if the RN cosigns. You have to remind them to cosign. And then you have to remind them to cosign. If an assessment is not done the lpn gets in trouble. If an assessment is done and the only signature is the lpn's, the lpn gets in trouble. Our treatment book has many assessments signed by lpn's.

0 Votes
Specializes in ER, Pulmonary.

I am an LPN and work in an ER. I do assessments and give meds daily. I participate in all codes and get the meds for the RN to push by IV when she is busy, I do everything except push IV meds and hang blood. I can hand antibiotics if they are premixed. I take chest pains when they come into the ER, follow protocol, etc. I am unlimited to what I can do except the above mentioned. I put NG tubes in and check for placement. That's why the RN's prefer to have us there because unfortunately, even though CNA's work their butts off, they can't give meds and we don't use them in our ER. I wish we did, good CNA's are critical to healthcare. They are the ears and eyes for the nurses and should be treated with upmost respect!

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment