Roles and Responsibilities of Nurses in an Acute Care Unit
In April 2004, the Board responded to an opinion request on the roles and responsibilities of nurses in an acute care unit, as follows.
The Board has issued various advisory opinion statements (AOS) that guide nurses in the delivery of safe nursing practice. The statements most applicable to this question are:
Under KRS 314.011(10) defining licensed practical nursing practice, the licensed practical nurse provides care under the direction of a registered nurse, physician or dentist. The registered nurse is responsible for the direction provided to the licensed practical nurse and for directing the care of all patients on the unit.
AOS #19 provides guidelines on patient care assignments and should be utilized in determining a safe staffing plan for any unit.
|