scope of practice

[hollynurse]

Helloooooooo everyone! I am so happy to find a site that (hopefully) will tend to questions and concerns thatI may have. I am a LPN, got a job offer for a rehab program as an on call nurse and doing monthly evaluations. I live in Kentucky, will work in Ohio mostly. All the consumers have their own physicians, which I will communicate with closely regarding their status. All of the consumers live in their own homes. My question is: Do I need to be under the direct supervision of a RN although I have communicaton with the physicians?

[cougarnurse]

Hi, Holly, and welcome to the site. Since you'll be in Ohio, best bet would be to check out the Ohio Nurse Practice Act. Here is the link to the site (through the OH State Forum): Welcome to the Ohio State Forum!

Hope this helps....

'Cat'

[cassioo]

as stated check your nurse practice act....I'm guessing you'll just need a doctors supervision for checking on patients and you can't do things against the NPA for Ohio for what an LPN can do. When I worked home health (in KY) we had LPNs but they couldn't admit a patient d/t the assessment part they could to dressing changes but not a complex one. The could draw blood but not from a port or a line. They still called the docs for any orders on the patients they saw when needed and we all had supervisors and a director. A job description can cover what you do but can't go against the NPA but can be more restrictive..

[JennyP]

Don't forget to check the wording of the 2 states NPAs (Nurse Practice Acts) for what RNs and LPNs can do.

Here in MN, LPNs can *monitor* while RNs can *assess* changes in a patients condition. Our NPA then describes what each of these terms mean.

I think it's very helpful to read the NPA's of the states you work in. I am sure that your NPAs will also describe what "supervise" and "direct supervison" both mean too.