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Discussion

LPN triage?

Do LPN's do triage nursing, or only RN's, NP's etc. ??

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I dont know if this is for all states, or if this applies to telephone triage, but I thought that all types of triage had to be done by an RN ?

  • Author

Thank you for your reply. This was my understanding too. I'm just wondering how this is done by a facility legally, and call it triaging, in MA.

I dont know if this is for all states, or if this applies to telephone triage, but I thought that all types of triage had to be done by an RN ?
Do LPN's do triage nursing, or only RN's, NP's etc. ??

Since triage requires the pt to have an isitial assessment, it would have to be done by an RN since "they" do not feel LPNs can correctly assess a pt.

However, it is possible for hospitals to employ LPNs they are comfoartable with, I couldn't find anything in several states scopes of practice to say they couldn't; but... what would JCAH think about it?

I Am A Lpn Of 11 Yrs. I Have Been A Triage Nurse For Peds Office For 6 Yrs. And Then Worked Home Health For 1 1/2 Yrs . Im Currently Working In A Ob/gyn Office At This Time And Enjoy The Traige Of It. I Have Been There Only One Month I Have Alot To Learn.

    •

    I am a LPN of 9 years and a CNA 9 years prior to this. I was a telephone triage nurse for an internal medicine practice for 8 years. This fall I was replaced by two medical secretaries. So, I think that triage as a sub specialty needs to be outlined by the board of nurses. Otherwise, LPNs (and yes, RNs too) hold on to your hats, because you may be replaced by unlicensed staff in this area.

    • Experts

    For those of you above that were triaging, you were working in a physician's office, and under their license if issues were to come up.

    In the hospital setting, you function under your own license, and with that, the state statues kick in, and you must be an RN to triage. That is why you will always find an RN in the triage role in any ER, or even in an Labor and Delivery unit in a hospital.

    A physician put anyone in to what ever job that they want in their office, they are taking the legal responsibility for them, and if any issues were to arise because of that. Deciding where a patient needs to go and giving medical advice are two different things.

    •

    I agree...it depends on the facility where you are traiging.

    In Arizona it is agains the law for an LPN to triage. This is because triage is an assessment and only an RN can assess. an LPN can gather and report facts. There are lot of times when this becomes more like splitting hairs then anything else.

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