RN assessments

[camilleRN68]

Does anyone have a policy on RN assessments of patients to be done at least every 24 hours. Meaning, if you have RN and LVN staff how often do you require the RN to make an assessment. Or do you require that? Does your charge nurses have to coordinate who has been seen by an RN? Can any of your patients be an inpatient and only see an RN on admit and not again until discharge? If not, how do you accomplish that?

[MishlB]

Originally posted by camilleRN68

Does anyone have a policy on RN assessments of patients to be done at least every 24 hours. Meaning, if you have RN and LVN staff how often do you require the RN to make an assessment. Or do you require that? Does your charge nurses have to coordinate who has been seen by an RN? Can any of your patients be an inpatient and only see an RN on admit and not again until discharge? If not, how do you accomplish that?

The RN must assess once per shift, minimum...

[1RNLadybug]

Patient must be assessed by an RN upon admission, then assessed by RN/LPN every shift...also we make rounds every 2 hours to check on patient, and of course when they use the call light.

linda:roll

[kyti]

All pts must be assessed by an RN every 8 hours. LPN's don't do any assessments at our facility.

[Shellsie]

an RN must do the admission assessment.

If the LPN is doing primary care on day shift and is doing the initial assessment for the day an RN can cosign the assessment.

on night shift if an LPN does the assessment at night it doesnt have to be cosigned because it is a "reassessment"

does that make sense?

[1RNLadybug]

Originally posted by Shellsie

an RN must do the admission assessment.

If the LPN is doing primary care on day shift and is doing the initial assessment for the day an RN can cosign the assessment.

on night shift if an LPN does the assessment at night it doesnt have to be cosigned because it is a "reassessment"

does that make sense?

My thought is, some days only LPN's are doing patient care, with 1 rn as charge nurse...Some of these LPN's have been doing nursing longer than I've been alive! Yet, they have to have their assessment cosigned by an RN...That will be the next thing, asking the RN to cosign the LPN's note. When you have a team of your own patients, unless you are going in and assessing everyone (which would be a real accomplishment with 42 patients in an 8 hour shift)...I mean it could be done, but with all the other stuff you have to do, who has time?

I know the LPN's I work with are as qualified, if not more qualified with years more experience, to do an initial assessment on a patient, as well as patient care...

No, it doesn't make sense, but alot of hospital policies don't make sense.

One hospital I work for, up until 2 years ago, wouldn't hire an LPN to work as a nurse:confused:

They would only hire an LPN as a PCT/nursing assistant:(

I mean, come on, LPN's trained at a local technical school in middle georgia get tons more hands on clinical experience than the local community college RN program! Yet, you have to have an RN in charge (now, granted I am an RN and I feel this way). Personally, I'd much have the 30+ experienced LPN next to me in a code, than the new grad RN...but I don't make the rules, just try to work with the rules.

Linda

[nursemary9, BSN, RN]

Hi

We don't use LPN's at our Hospital.

An RN must assess every shift

[mattsmom81]

Our policy is an RN must be responsible for initial admit asessment on the unit (NOT just ER) and at least q 24 hrs following. Thus an RN must cosign an LPN's admission asessment or do it herself.

For assignments, if an LPN cares for the patient 7p-7a, an RN assumes care for 7a-7p shift and vice versa.