OT & PT managing nurses?

[Roselyn, ADN, BSN]

I work for a nursing agency that gave the title of "clinical supervisors for the nursing department" to the OT and PT. We do have great nurses that could be the clinical supervisors for the nursing department. However, they chose the OT and PT.

OT and PT are giving nursing orders. They are the managers on-call on the weekends telling the nurses what to do.  

Has anyone seen OT and PT managing nurses? I worry that I am risking my RN license in this agency.

 

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

Check with your State's BON.  Do these PT or OTs have a nurse who supervises the clinical bed side nurses as the buffer (I call them buffers)?  In many states a non-nurse can be in charge of nurses who are not providing direct patient care.  So, a nurse supervises and manages the direct patient care nurses, but is supervised by a non-nurse because that nurse does not provide bedside care. 

For Example:  nurse case managers provide direct patient care through their interaction with patients and the medical team as well as through directly educating patients even though they may not be touching patients.  And so, nurse case managers in many states need to be supervised by a nurse manager.  However, the nurse manager in this example can be supervised by a non-nurse administrator/director with a non-nursing degree, because the nurse manager in this example does not interact directly with patients or the medical team involved with specific patients.  The non-nurse director in this example can also be running another department such as social services. 

[amoLucia]

Couple thoughts here.

What kind of nsg orders???

Does PT & OT have advanced degrees?

Is your agency facing survey or new certification?

 

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

In my state, that would be illegal. I agree with Summer. Talk to your BON.