TB skin assessments

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Hello all!

Got a question.  I've been asked by friends if I could complete a TB Skin Assessment form (not the actual PPD test) for them as their jobs require these, but they don't have in-house nurses to complete these where they work.  I'm kinda iffy about it as I'm not too sure whether it's really necessarily legal to do this but wanted to double check. Any one know about this?

Also, I'm in KY if that helps any.  Thank you!!

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Specializes in Public Health, TB.

I am not sure what you are asking. Are they asking you to assess and document the site where the PPD was injected? I would be really cautious unless I knew who placed it. Plus if there is any induration at all, they are best measured with calipers. 

And I know nothing about practice laws in Kentucky or policy for your agency. 

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I agree with @nursej22 regarding using caution.  Why don't the just have whomever placed it complete the form?

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Specializes in Critical Care.

IDK about Kentucky rules in particular however in VA I have had my nurse friends and nurse co workers assess and sign off and its NBD. All that's required is that it'd be someone who is qualified to accurately assess, interpret, etc.. and be able to sign off (and RNs can do this). 

Call them and ask them how their customers usually get the site assessed and get signed off / cleared. Clarify if its OK that a co-worker if that is a concern for you. It's OK to ask questions. 

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Reading the other posters after submitting mine... It doesn't sound like the OP is asking if she herself can assess/interpret the results but asking if its OK to have nurse friends do this and if its allowed / OK. 

I will share that it was not a RN who administered my PPD. I believe she was a LPN. She was allowed to administer the test, however she was not allowed to assess / interpret the results. This is the kinda stuff that varies and depends on the state, companies, rando policies, counties.. 

It's ridiculous. I don't make the rules ?‍♀️

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Specializes in Public Health, TB.
29 minutes ago, BeatsPerMinute said:

IDK about Kentucky rules in particular however in VA I have had my nurse friends and nurse co workers assess and sign off and its NBD. All that's required is that it'd be someone who is qualified to accurately assess, interpret, etc.. and be able to sign off (and RNs can do this). 

Call them and ask them how their customers usually get the site assessed and get signed off / cleared. Clarify if its OK that a co-worker if that is a concern for you. It's OK to ask questions. 

Being qualified to assess can be a big deal. I work in the TB program in a local health department and we get a fair number of reports of "positive" skin tests, it is unclear if people are assessing redness or induration. And an accurate measurement is key depending on a person's risk of exposure profile. 

Again, if I didn't know who placed the test and I am not confident they placed it correctly, I am hesitant to assess a test as zero induration. Lately we've had some really sick tuberculosis patients who weren't screened with as much care as one would have hoped. 

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I wouldn't do it and ask them to return to whomever administered the test.  

We don't do TB tests anymore and haven't for years, but when we did nurses were allowed to assess coworkers and sign off.  This was helpful especially for night shift.  But I guess like J22 above says that might not be the best practice if people don't know what they are doing.  

 

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Tele/ER/Urgent Care.

I used to work urgent care. Frequently people would come in asking for reading of test done at other clinics in another city or state. I refused as again you don’t know the technique used and many people do not know how to accurately measure positive results.

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