PA LPN's now permitted to accept verbal orders

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

The State Board of Nursing has just issued final regulations to allow LPN's to accept both written and oral orders for medication and therapeutic treatments from a practitioner authorized by law and by facility policy to issue orders for medical and therapeutic measures that falls within the scope of functions for LPN's. The LPN must have recieved instruction and training in accepting an oral order in an approved nursing education program or has received instructions and training in accepting an oral order in accordance with the established policies of the facility. The policy and regulations governing a facility need to permit LPN's to accept an oral order. For more direct information

http://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol33/33-51/index.html

Ruling effective 12/19/03

[NursePaula]

At the facility I work at in Northern California an LVN/LPN can take telephone orders IF it is in there scope to administer that med. For all IV meds an RN must get on the phone and actually take the order. We are NOT allowed to take oral orders in person unless it is an emergency. We also have an area on the telephone orders to check that we have read back the order and had it confirmed. Hasn't been to bad to handle, when an LVN anticipates a change in order she/he calls the MD and we stand-by ready for the order once she gives the MD a report on why something needs changed.

[oramar]

I did not know anything about this. I will show it to LPNs at work. I do not think they had heard about it. Not that the law allows them to automatically start taking orders.

[Shellsie]

LPN's take verbal and telephone orders all the time here in florida......matter of fact in most long term care facilities there are very few RN's on the payroll

[RN-PA, RN]

At the hospital where I work in PA, I was told that the LPN's were allowed to take verbal orders a number of years ago, but the administration stopped allowing it because the doctors would sometimes give a verbal order NOT within the LPN's scope of practice, such as PCA orders, blood products, or IV push med orders. (I've never understood why an LPN couldn't RECEIVE orders like those just mentioned, even though the RN will be performing them-- she/he is only WRITING an order.)