Skilled Nursing Services and Pennsylvania Nursing Practice
Sets out how skilled nursing is provided by or under the supervision of a registered nurse under 28 Pa. Code §601.32: what the registered nurse and the licensed practical nurse each do, how licensed practical nurses are supervised, practice within the scope set by the State Board of Nursing (49 Pa. Code Chapter 21), the nursing standards of conduct, clinical notes, reporting changes, and why nursing tasks are not delegated to home health aides in Pennsylvania.
About this policy
- Policy number
- PA-HH-CS-02
- Version
- 1.0
- Main rule
- 28 Pa. Code §601.32
- Library
- Pennsylvania home health · 56 policies
- Category
- Clinical tasks
- Sections
- 21
In short
- Skilled nursing is given by a registered nurse, or by a licensed practical nurse under an RN’s supervision.
- LPNs: call your RN case manager when the patient’s needs go beyond your scope or skills, or the patient gets worse.
- Do only procedures you have been trained and signed off to do. Ask before trying anything new.
- Write your note on the day of the visit and report changes in condition to the physician and case manager.
- Nurses never hand nursing tasks over to aides; aides do only the tasks in their care plan.
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 (28 Pa. Code §601.32)
- 5. What the Registered Nurse Does
- 6. What the Licensed Practical Nurse Does
- 7. Supervision of Licensed Practical Nurses
- 8. License Verification and Practice Within Scope
- 9. Competency for Nursing Procedures
- 10. Nursing Visits, Clinical Notes, and Progress Notes
- 11. Reporting Changes in Condition
- 12. Standards of Nursing Conduct
- 13. No Delegation of Nursing Tasks to Home Health Aides
- 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
- Who supervises your LPNs, and how do you document that supervision?
- Show me the RN reevaluation of nursing needs for this patient.
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