STNA assessing lung sounds?

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Specializes in Home Health, Oncology, Geriatrics.

The Scene: You walk into your patient's room/home. After chatting for a bit you pull out your stethoscope and begin to listen to your patient's lungs. Your patient then tells you that her STNA previously informed her that her lung sounds are clear. You ask her how the STNA knew this? Patient tells you that the STNA used her stethoscope to assess the patient before telling the patient that her lungs sound good.

Your Reaction: ???

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My first reaction would be to wonder if it was an RT, instead.

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Specializes in Home Health, Oncology, Geriatrics.

It was not, and you are sure of this.

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Specializes in ER.

I would mention that it is still my duty as an RN to listen to her lungs as I am the licensed individual.

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It was not, and you are sure of this.

In that case I would be curious and ask the CNA about it ...and of course, I would still listen to the patient's lungs, myself.

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Specializes in Home Health, Oncology, Geriatrics.

Of course. But why would you ask the CNA about it? What would you say?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

WERE the lung sounds good?

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Specializes in Home Health, Oncology, Geriatrics.
WERE the lung sounds good?

No, they are not.

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Specializes in ICU.

Duplicate post, disregard .

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Specializes in ICU.

What is a STNA?

If that is an acronym for a nursing student, let her practice.

If this person is a nursing assistant or home health aide, then she needs to stop doing nursing assessments.

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Of course. But why would you ask the CNA about it? What would you say?

I would be genuinely curious and probably a little annoyed. I'd just say, "Hey, the patient in 206 refused to let me listen to her lungs because she said you already did it ....what's up?". Then, I'd see what they had to say and go from there.

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Specializes in ER.
I would be genuinely curious and probably a little annoyed. I'd just say, "Hey, the patient in 206 refused to let me listen to her lungs because she said you already did it ....what's up?". Then, I'd see what they had to say and go from there.

She didn't say that she refused to let the RN listen, just that the patient said that the STNA/nursing assistant (some states use "state tested nursing assistant" instead of CNA) listened.

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