what is the rule about who can give flu shots at your facility

Speculating · Nov 23, 2003

Originally posted by oramar
We have this rule that the flu vaccine has to be given by a RN. I just don't get it. Why would LPNs not be permitted to do this? I know for a fact that medical assistants are giving in most MD offices. Neither my pulmonologist or my PCP has a nurse in the office.

I have no idea where that rule came from nor has it trinkled down to me yet from the powers above.

Rustyhammer · Nov 23, 2003

That is absolutely ridiculous!

-R

Love-A-Nurse · Nov 23, 2003

it would be interesting to know the reason/s why lpns are not allowed to give flu shots were you are as i have not encountered not being able to do so or have not heard of other lpns i know not doing so as well.

Speculating · Nov 23, 2003

Medicine has these weird quirks every so often. Back in the early 1990's one of the teaching hospitals I used to work at called for anesthesiology to give any Toradol that was IVP. It was supposedly so powerful only an MD could give it.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Nov 23, 2003

Toradol IV is one of the relatively few meds, other than cardiovascular drugs, that LPNs can't push at my hospital. I've always wondered about that....it seems so arbitrary, when they can do IVP narcotics and antiemetics, which seem to me to be much more of a potential danger than Toradol.

itsme · Nov 23, 2003

At the LTC where I work, they have a part time LPN come in and give all 117 residents there flu shots, then on the next day they give all the employees who have signed up for one theres.

Emperess · Nov 23, 2003

Originally posted by mjlrn97
Toradol IV is one of the relatively few meds, other than cardiovascular drugs, that LPNs can't push at my hospital. I've always wondered about that....it seems so arbitrary, when they can do IVP narcotics and antiemetics, which seem to me to be much more of a potential danger than Toradol.

WHAT???? Did you say LPN's can push IV meds at your hospital??? Now I may be grossly misinformed of the differences between states' scope of practice variations, but I didn't think LPN's/LVN's in ANY state were allowed to give IV push medications. I was an LPN before becoming an RN in Arizona, and I had to be IV-certified to hang IV piggybacks, and those were mostly your scheduled antibiotics, antifungals, Pepcid and things of that nature. Electrolyte riders, blood, Ampho-B, etc had to be hung by an RN, and IV push meds were not in my LPN scope of practice under ANY ANY ANY circumstances, and I know that hasn't changed in the years since I was an LPN. I admit it was tempting to breach my scope of practice to give Morphine for the umpteenth time in a shift of chasing down an RN to give it for me, but I knew I couldn't sign for it, and I would never ask someone else to sign for something I gave, so I can't imagine crossing that line. Where are you working at, mjlrn97?

PMHNP10 · Nov 23, 2003

In TX, LVNs can push meds once they get certified, but it is a certain list of meds.

Emperess · Nov 23, 2003

I had no idea. I wonder how many other states allow LPN/LVN's to push IV meds? Does the list of allowable meds include narcotics? Just curious - I know most LPNs are perfectly capable of recognizing and reacting to s/s of narcotic OD.

(So sorry to get so far off topic)

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Nov 23, 2003

That rule seems a bit hokey.

Just got two immunizations at my doc's done by an MA. She was great!

CC NRSE · Nov 23, 2003

lpn's can also push drugs in fl. i don't know the exact stipulation, i do think they have to be iv certified. it may also depend on the hospital. i think about the only thing they can't do (in fl) is hang blood. not really sure though. we don't have any working in the critical care unit i am in. i know in al, they can't give ivp drugs. in some hospitals, they couldn't even flush a central line!!! :eek: to me this seems a little ridiculous. some of the best nurses i have ever worked with were lpn's. i guess there has to be some division b/c of the pay. that's the biggest difference, which i also don't think is fair. :rolleyes: