Scope of Practice for LVNs

Hello everyone,

At the pediatric nursing facility that I work at, we are allowed to change-out gastric feeding tubes. We are certified by the facility before we are allowed to do this. Recently an issue has come up that I cannot find any information on regarding changing a feeding tube (ie flexiflo, etc) and replacing that with a mic-key button. There are a couple of nurses at our facility that say this is not within an LVNs scope of practice. The reason I am asking this question is that I am a transport nurse, meaning that I take the residents on specialty appointments and schedule them as well. I am sometimes flooded with GI appointments just to take a resident to a GI doc just so he/she can replace a feeding tube with a gastric button. I know myself very much how to measure for a mic-key button. Some nurses are saying that you must be certified by "someone" in order to perform this procedure. Does anyone out there have any insight and documentation as to whether an LVN can perform this procedure or where one might be certified in order to perform this? Any help would be appreciated and would save this nurse some scheduling time for our residents that really need a specialty appointment.

Thanks in Advance!

TxZephyr :frustrated:

You need to check with the BNE and read under scope of practice. It is my understanding and not 100% positive but do believe it must be an RN who has been traind and certified for this. Your facility should have a guide line in your hand book. I will check with some people and with the BNE for you and get back to you.