i am seeking some advice to help me deal with a situation at my workplace involving rns writing admission orders. i began working for an inpatient rehab hospital in pa 6 months ago and am uncomfortable with the routine practice of rns writing admission orders. this practice has been going on long before i started working there. the reason behind this practice is so that the attending physicians do not have to come into the hospital in the evening (when 95% of the admissions take place). we are expected to write med orders (based on what the patient was receiving at the previous hospital, ltc or home), lab orders, diet orders, etc. once the orders are researched and written by the rn, he/she calls the attending md and reads the orders, thereby signing the orders as a telephone order.
i and many other of my nursing colleagues are very uncomfortable with this practice, as we feel it is not within our scope of practice to be writing orders, potentially compromises patient safety and puts our nursing licenses in jeopardy.
i have tried finding information within pa's nursing scope of practice, but am unable to find much to support my concerns.
does anyone have any input and/or advice to help me?
Before a resident is admitted, we required a signed PPOC and discharge summary which lists scheduled medications, PRNs and what therapies the MD wants. It also lists BP and blood sugar parameters. Then we call if something needs to be clarified. This is all done before the resident is released from the hospital to our facility.
PsychNurseWannaBe, BSN, RN
747 Posts
Before a resident is admitted, we required a signed PPOC and discharge summary which lists scheduled medications, PRNs and what therapies the MD wants. It also lists BP and blood sugar parameters. Then we call if something needs to be clarified. This is all done before the resident is released from the hospital to our facility.