RN pre-op assessment liability

[freakophil]

I work in an outpatient GI facility. Currently every patient that comes in has an RN review the patient's health history, meds, and pertinent pre-op data. Any abnormal findings are reported to the anesthesiologist. My facility is now going to have the medical/surgical history review performed by the anesthesiologist, not the RN. The -ologists routinely blow off the nursing staff when we voice concerns about abnormal findings, but at least we can document that we notified them. Now, if a patient has a procedure and has an adverse outcome because of something the -ologist did not address, am I liable as the patient's RN?

[tewdles, RN]

To know that you must look at your job description...if that responsibility is spelled out in your JD, an attorney in a legal case will hold your feet to the fire no matter what the "practice" may be.