Loading...If you are wondering about the duties that you may be shouldering after you are hired by a facility as a licensed practical nurse, do not be puzzled. Here are some details and guidelines that tells briefly about the tasks , a licensed practical nurse does
- Vital signs- Daily monitoring of the patients vital signs helps the doctors to diagnose their health and recovery from major surgical procedures or sicknesses. This is done genrally by the lpn.
- Preparation- Patients who are admitted in a hospital have to undergo routine tests to check for health and vitality of organs. The lpn prepares the patients by telling them about the proceduresand dressing them, conveying them to appointment or hospital departments and pre-medicating them before required appointments.
- Medication charts – LPNs are assigned the task of monitoring medication, dosages and ensuring that patients take their dosages on time for effective patient care.
- First Aid- LPNs are assigned the tasks of dealing the simple wounds and injuries to save time for the doctors. Cleaning wounds, giving simple injections, applying dressings and bandages, changing dressings and assisting in suture placements is what the lpn does.
- IV Maintenance- Patients who are being administered blood, medications, glucose etc have to be monitored, levels of IV solutions periodically noted and IV’s changed when required. LPNs may also have to change and replace catheters, naso-gastric tubes, epidural infusions, perform tracheotomy care, fluid bags, and oxygen supplies.
- Patient Hygiene- LPNs are assigned to the Inpatients who are admitted to the hospital for a long period of time have bathed, bedding changed, dressed and toileted everyday.
- Daily Massages- Bedridden patients are provided therapeutic massages from LPNs if they ask for it.
- Home Care- They help handicapped patients with the motions of daily life like bathing, eating, changing clothes etc, in a home care environment. With a little additional clinical training by the patients physician; the LPN can also keep a close eye on the patients medications and carry out simple home care procedures for elderly bedridden patients like catheter changes, periodic bed changes to prevent bed sores, insulin injections, etc
- Physician Orders- A trained LPN should follow the physician during his rounds, comprehend detailed instructions and carry them out to the letter.
- Food and Water- Feeding patients and ensuring that they have a constant supply of water is one of the tasks of a LPN.
- Emotional Support- A very essential part of an LPNs duties is dealing with depressed patients who are in severe pain. They should provide them the emotional support they need at the time of pain and anxiety.
A responsible LPN should work under the supervision of a registered nurse or a physician.you should follow the rules and procedures. Stick to the protocols and you will never fail.