Work place craziness

[NurseRobinson, ASN, RN]

Good Morning,

I need some work advice. I currently am located in the state of Maryland. I am a LPN (LVN) my current employer has LPNs working doing hospice home care for patients who have symptomatic crisis (uncontrolled pain, agitation, etc.) that will require us to be present in the home. We also have a inpatient unit in several established hospitals that the company prefers RNs to work but will use an LPN on the unit when they are short staffed. LPNs do not get paid shift differential for working required rotating night and weekend shifts. So when we are going to assist on the unit they label us a standby staff just in case a home care patient requires crisis attention. So while the LPNs are on the unit on standby they stated that LPN's can give the RNs patients medications, do the assessments for them and document on the assessments online and assist doing ADL care. In the event that we are needed for a home care patient RN will just add a note to the patients that we have assessed and documented on. The question is am I wrong for not feeling comfortable documenting on a patient that is not mine and leaving trust in another nurse to come and add any pertinent information should there be a change? Secondly, we are not getting paid differential like the RNs on the unit cause we can not technically take the patient cause we are on standby for a need of a home care patient. We can take a transfer of patient from the home to the inpatient unit which is a lengthy process and not get shift differential like the RNs either. Please I need advice on what to do or not to do. I have no problem helping and assisting but this situation seems unfair.

[LPNtoRNin2016OH, LPN]

I would try to ask this in general nursing to get more answers...I have no hospice/homecare experience otherwise I would weigh in :) hope you find some answers!

[Elektra6, ASN, BSN, RN]

Re-post in the hospice forum. Those nurses will be able to give you a better answer.