verbal orders

I could be in error, but I don't think it's illegal, per se, just discouraged.

In my state and at my hospital-yes. Check your hospital policy to know for sure. There are certain rules about how to write them and how long the practitioner has to come and sign. Also, some things usually can't be verbal such as blood products or PCA.

Of course you can. We would be in big trouble if the doctors had to be present every time we needed an order! (guessing you mean telephone orders)

Yep, in Texas we can write anything the doc orders in our LTAC ICU. They DO have to come sign it though, that is where medical records has problems with the docs. They don't seem to understand those little sticky notes sticking out of the chart saying

"

If we take a phone order, it must be repeated for a witness (another nurse) who countersigns the medication chart. The MO must sign it later, (preferably sooner). If the MO is present I will get the medication ready and hand the chart to the MO for signing before administration. I have to cover my backside and the MO's tend to not only respect it but appreciate that they are getting covered as well.

Man the doc's would never be able to leave our floor if we could not take verbal or telephone orders! They do need to come back and sign them, but it is no problem. We do not have to have 2 people sign them, except for DNR and terminal withdrawl.

we have all the orders done via computer (we use Epic) at our hospital - so the rule is verbal orders ONLY if the doc is in an emergency (ER or OR) or is off hospital grounds. Since they can enter the orders into the computer from anywhere on campus, there is no reason for them to be "lazy" anymore at our facility. I've recently entered my FIRST verbal order, and the system has it set up very easy. When we do that, the order gets sent to the doc's inbox and will keep flagging him to sign it whenever he enters the system. They have no choice but to sign them at that point or else the computer will drive them to madness. :)

at my facility we are no longer allowed to take verbal orders. b/c if the doc is physically present to give you a verbal order, then they should be able to write it in the chart. we are however, allowed to take telephone orders.

We are not "supposed" to take verbal orders except in an emergency situation, as Tgirl said. If the dr is there he is supposed to write the order himself. You can imagine how well that goes over when you catch Dr X getting onto the elevator to go do a procedure and you ask him to get off and write an order for tylenol? LOL not going to happen.

Telephone orders are always OK here but we are now supposed to write "read back and confirmed" underneath (as if that guarantees anything) and then the dr signs it when he comes in on rounds.