Scribd
Upload
538 views3 pages

LPN Responsibilities and Legal Considerations

The document discusses the roles and responsibilities of an LPN/LVN, including providing direct nursing care to stable patients under RN or physician supervision, assisting with unstable or complex patients, and adhering to the nursing process. It also discusses potential LPN leadership roles such as charge nurse and assigning tasks to unlicensed assistive personnel. The document then summarizes different types of torts in legal law including negligence, intentional torts, false imprisonment, invasion of privacy, defamation, Good Samaritan laws, wills, and advance directives.

Uploaded by

Cecil Brizuela
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
538 views3 pages

LPN Responsibilities and Legal Considerations

The document discusses the roles and responsibilities of an LPN/LVN, including providing direct nursing care to stable patients under RN or physician supervision, assisting with unstable or complex patients, and adhering to the nursing process. It also discusses potential LPN leadership roles such as charge nurse and assigning tasks to unlicensed assistive personnel. The document then summarizes different types of torts in legal law including negligence, intentional torts, false imprisonment, invasion of privacy, defamation, Good Samaritan laws, wills, and advance directives.

Uploaded by

Cecil Brizuela
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

KNOWING YOUR ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES: LPN/LVN provides direct nursing care to patients whose condition are stable under

r the supervision of an RN or physician assist the RN with care of patients whose conditions are unstable or complex adhering to the nursing process, observes, assesses, records, reports, and performs basic therapeutic, preventive, and rehabilitative procedures o work in acute and long-term care hospitals, nursing homes, physicians offices, ambulatory care facilities, home health agencies, community agencies, schools and industries LPN leadership roles Role of charge nurse responsible for assigning CNAs and UAP job tasks Provides clear and concise descriptions of what tasks are to be accomplished; time frame , and feedback and praise for staff members Legally liable for improperly assigning tasks

Examples of tasks assigned to UAP (Unlicensed Assistive Personnel) Bathing Vital signs Feeding Maintaining safety Grooming Weights Transferring/Ambulating Intake and output YOU AND THE LAW A. TORTS- civil law

An act or wrong committed by one person against another that results in injury or damage Can be either the commission or omission of an act Acts of Negligence include: o Professional misconduct o Performing care incorrectly o Illegal or immoral conduct EXAMPLES: o Administration of wrong medication o Administration of medication or treatment to wrong patient o Failure to ensure safety through use of side rails or restraints o Failure to prevent injury while applying heat o Gross negligence: patients life is endangered or lostoften results in criminal action

B. INTENTIONAL TORTS Legal liability exists even if no damage occurs to the other person May not be covered by malpractice insurance ASSAULT AND BATTERY o ASSAULT- threat or attempt to make body contact with another person without that persons consent with intent to injure o EXAMPLE: threatening to restrain or physically punish patient if he or she does not cooperate BATTERY- act of making unauthorized contact o EXAMPLE: Nurse actually restrains the patient C. FALSE IMPRISONMENT Unwarranted restriction of another person by force or threat of force EXAMPLE: detaining patient in hospital against his or her will, unwarranted use of restraint HAMA- Home against medical advice: patient who wishes to leave the hospital against medical advice may be asked to sign a release

o Patient could not be detained if he/she refuses to sign E. INVASION OF PRIVACY Unauthorized disclosures about a patient even if information is true EXAMPLES o Release of medical information o Exposure of patient during procedures or transportation F. DEFAMATION Attack on the name, business or professional reputation of anther through false and malicious statements to a third person Types: o Slander: oral statement o Libel: written statement GOOD SAMARITAN LAWS: Legal protection when giving aid at the scene of an accident Not all state cover nurses The purpose is to encourage people to give assistance at the scene of emergency This law does not make it legally necessary for a nurse to assist When nurses do assist , they are expected to use good judgment in deciding whether an emergency exist WILLS Legal declaration of how a person wishes to dispose of his/her property after death ADVANCE DIRECTIVES Documents in which an individual can specify wishes regarding end-of-life care o Durable power of attorney for health care- individual appointed to make health care decisions if patient becomes incapable to do so. o Living will- specifies clients wishes regarding health care decisions

You might also like