Skilled Nursing Services: Registered Nurse and Licensed Vocational Nurse Duties
Sets out what registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses do for the Agency’s patients under 22 CCR §74707: the RN gives the initial nursing assessment before care begins and the ongoing assessment, notifies the practitioner of significant changes, coordinates services, documents, and teaches; the LVN may do everything except the assessment and coordination duties, and teaches only within the Vocational Nursing Practice Act. Both have one year of prior professional nursing experience; clinical notes are signed and incorporated into the record at least every seven working days; and nursing services are reviewed under the quality management program.
- Policy number
- CA-HH-CS-02
- Version
- 1.0
- Main rule
- 22 CCR §74707
- Library
- California home health · 58 policies
- Category
- Clinical tasks
- Sections
- 21
In short
- Only a registered nurse does the first nursing assessment, ongoing assessments, and coordination of services.
- LVNs may give care, document, and report changes, but they do not assess or coordinate, and they tell the RN about any change at once.
- Call 911 first in an emergency, then the practitioner and your supervisor, unless a valid POLST or DNR says otherwise.
- Write your note at the time of the visit. Notes must be signed and in the record within seven working days.
- Only do the skills you have been checked as competent to do.
What's inside
21 sections. The full text comes with the One-time Policy Pack.
- Terms of Reference
- 1. Purpose
- 2. Scope
- 3. Definitions
- 4. Policy Statement (22 CCR §74707)
- 5. Duties of Registered Nurses and Licensed Vocational Nurses
- 6. Qualifications and Assignment
- 7. The Nursing Visit
- 8. Significant Changes in Condition
- 9. Coordination of Services
- 10. Supervision of Nursing Staff and Aides
- 11. Standardized Procedures
- 12. Clinical Notes and Documentation
- 13. Sufficient Nursing Services and Quality Review
- 14. Responsibilities
- 15. Records and Compliance Monitoring
- 16. Staff Training
- 17. References
- 18. Related Policies and Forms
- 19. Approval
- 20. Revision History
An inspector may ask
- Show me the initial nursing assessment for this patient. Who did it, and was it done before care was provided?
- What does an LVN do for your patients, and what can an LVN not do?
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