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Discussion

NP scope of practive vs RN

Please, if any one can point me in the correct direction.

I am a relatively new nurse practitioner for the NJ prisons.

I have comfortably practice here for close to 2 years within the scope of practice as a NP.

Question: The Nurse Administrator has given me the responsibility of counting narcotics with a Certified Med. AID. I have been given this additional responsibility because I am a RN first RN/NP and according to them "Can do this". The CMA's need a Nurse to count Narcotics with them and they are short staffed of RN's.

I have two concerns: #1. I do not administer or handle narcotics during the course of my duty. My NP responsibilities have always been interchangable with PA's, and MD's,who, legally, can not count and sign for narcotics. with nurses.

Nurse Administrative rational: Because I have the capability and knowledge, I can legally count and sign narcotics.

My opinion: This responsibility jeopardizes both my RN license and NP cert. if is not correct.

I believe that you can not practice certain responsibilities (PA's and MD's can not) when working under a separate scope of practice (RN vs NP). Particularly since it is not my daily responsibility to dispense medications.

Hence, if I work part-time as a RN, I can not legally prescribe or perform certain proceedures as a nurse practitioner.

Please, if someone can shed some light on this situation, I would really appreciate this.

#2. I do not think the CMA's are allowed to dispense narcotics as they have been doing with my facility.

thank you.

DJ

Featured Replies

  • Experts

I would think your BON would be the best source of info for your concerns. They are the definitive word on scope-of-practice issues.

For issue #1 I would personaly count the narcotics, it would take a short period of time can add to the good will of the office.

for #2 are the CMAs administering narcotics to patients or dispensing them. In many states MAs administer medications including narcotics. If they are dispensing narcotics for patients to take home I would be very concerned about that function. If there is a policy and procedure and narcotics are accounted for I would not have issues with them administering them.

  • Author

Good will is a real positive.

The small problem is that the count is often incorrect. I am concerned with the additional liability against my license and certifications, RN, NP, CDS, and DEA #.

thanks the same.

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