insel.angus

To identify shortfalls in a patient's plan of care IS a sign of a good nurse. Where I see the potential problem is in the expectation of making us responsible for it. I am not a physician, it is illegal for me to prescribe medications. I have no problems discussing my patient's plan of care with the MD, but where do we draw the line of discussing care versus insisting on a prescription! And how do I chart this? Also, my nursing practice, as reflected by my charting, gets audited extensively. I am sure the same practice could be used to enhance the physicians' compliance with a standard of care and can be done by somebody other than the bedside nurse. Another solution would be to have protocols in place which include DVT prophylaxis or beta blockade in the face of an MI.