LPN scope of practice in PA
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We are having a debate where I work...can LPN's perform an admission assessment and/or an 8 hr assessment independently? We have LPN's and they do the assessments..they facility just requires that an RN co-signs an assessment once in 24hrs. What happens is that 3 lpn's fill in the daily nursing assessment sheet and then the charge nurse will cosign them all...sometimes they are co-signed days later by an RN who wasn't even working on the day she is co-signing assessments. They don't seem to understand how wrong this is? Am I being anal or what? Personally, I feel that an RN should ACTUALLY perform and document an entire assessment at least once in 24hrs and NO WAY would I sign my name to somebody elses assessment??? If you sign your name then you are agreeing with all 3 assessments? No notations is made they just sign their name on the back of the sheet? I have refused to do this which is what the big debate is about. I don't mind doing the assessment but I am not going to sign my name blindly? Everyday I find examples of false documentation and the DON looks the other way. People signing off meds/treatments/wound care that was never done? How do I know...because the dressing from 2 days ago with another nurses date/time/initials is still on the patient? ***????
So, bottom line..are LPN's allowed to perform assessments, admission or otherwise in the state of PA... the PA code doesn't address it one way or the other as far as I can see..the only thing they address is verbal orders, treatments, IV's...
Thanks for any insight.