Need advice on this situation at work - did I do the right thing?
Work w/ a physiotherapist in a senior facility. I'm his assistant. We work together 1/ week. I'm employed by the facility. He's a contract worker. We do walking & ex.of the seniors. I'm not a rehab aide. No training in physio work. Physio writes down the interventions for me to do w/ the seniors. Now, for my own protection I don't do any ex. that's not written down. Don't feel comfy doing a verbal instruction. Why? One thing, if it's written down I can always use it as a reference. I do so many of them & I don't want to interchange the exercises. Another reason, it's for my own protection. Anything verbal won't help me if ever something bad happens. In reality, you'll protect just yourself & nobody else. I let the PT know in writing how I feel about this things. Now there's this situation, senior arrived weeks ago from the hospital. Had a surgery done. I have yet to do anything w/ her b/c his instructions were verbal. Still waiting for him to write her ex.-nothing! Who's to blame?
Answers:
You're doing what you should be doing. Never take an order without his signature on it. Even if it's verbal, write it down yourself, repeat it back to him to be sure you understood correctly then have him sign it. Even then, if it's an order that is out of your scope of practice, unethical, or not in accordance with the laws in your state, do not do it, even if it's signed.
Health care is considered the most litigated profession in the country. There are people out there just waiting to drag you and your doctor into court over the simplest of things. So, always look out for you and yours by covering your own behind. Make him stop being lazy and write down his orders, and sign them.
Never let a doctor take you down with him or take the fall for him - because when it comes down to it, he'll look out for himself too and throw you to the wolves by stating he never gave you an order (because it's not in writing). I've seen it happen.
i think you're right, but I would remind him each day you work. In writing, if necessary.
Mention it to an RN or LPN. They are trained in post-surgery exercises. They should also be the ones to administer them, not some untrained, loosely affiliated Joe off the street. No training, no exercises.
You need to be trained to recognize medical conditions that arise in seniors. They can have heart problems, circulation problems, strokes, etc that you aren't trained to recognize. One of these days, you're going to walk an old lady, tuck her back in bed, and she's gonna wake up dead because what you thought was tiredness was a heart condition.
Unless you are certified by the state to do this job or are directly supervised at all times, you shouldn't be doing it at all. Many nursing homes cut corners (break the law). Don't take the facility's word for it that you are allowed to do this type of work. Check with a State Board or Health Dept.
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