Violations of Scope of Practice Who do you tell about it?

[Jerry 75]

In one of the Emergency Rooms I used to work in as an RN I encountered scope of practice violations.

LVN's were encouraged to, allowed to administer IV push Meds such as Lasix as well as hang and run IV drip meds Solumedrol, Anti biotics. I brought this up to the LVN doing it. I doin't believe you are trained to do this nor are you supposed to am I correct? Yes your right she responded. Next I went to my Charge Nurse and was told "well we are short handed so we let them do stuff like that it is OK" "Don't worry about it"

So being unsatisfied with the responses I ws getting I made a formal complaint to licensing and had the hospital investigated. Of course everyone there lied, denying it ever happened. I later found out it goes on all the time and I just happened to walk in on it.

Pont is that it violates State Scope of Practice, diminishes the quality of care, puts patients at risk plus my name is on the chart becsue I am working with the pt. I refused to sign my name as the one pushing the meds given by the LVN so the Charge Nurse did.

I am sure things like this happen all the time at other hospital ED's also. But wht else can you do to remedy the matter? The hospital obviously doesn't give a damn about quality care.

[ladytraviler]

When I worked ER with an LPN, I would not sign off on what she did as far as the things u stated. I let it be known that if I had not done it, I would not sign it. Once the message got out I did not see it happen on my shift. Document, document, document.

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

We don't have LPNs in our ED.

[diane227, LPN, RN]

What state do you work in? Did you give the Board specific patient names so they could look at those charts to see who gave those medications or are the LPN's having an RN sign for what they give? If the RN is signing off what the LPN gives, then there is nothing you can do about it. The RN is placing her license on the line and that is her business. I hope she understands that she will be held accountable if something goes wrong.