THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 17, 1996 TAG: 9610170003
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A18 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 28 lines
The health-care environment has drastically changed within the last decade. The need to reduce health-care costs, downsizing management and nursing staff, and increased competition among health-care institutions may be impeding quality care to patients in the hospital setting.
Many health-care institutions have increasingly utilized unlicensed assistant nursing personnel to deliver certain tasks that once reflected the role of the registered nurse. These individuals, with training of only six to eight weeks, are allowed to perform tasks such as removing a foley catheter, discontinuing an IV, obtaining blood gases, etc., whereas the registered nurse had to attend school for two to four years to obtain licensure from the State Board of Nursing to perform these tasks.
The utilization of the unlicensed assistant personnel will become a cheaper alternative for delivering basic bedside nursing care. The legal responsibility remains with the RN if negative outcomes result.
Now, ask yourself: Do I want someone who has the knowledge and skills to perform professional tasks? Or someone who has received less preparation and lacks the knowledge and reasoning of those tasks?
GLENDA SHOULDERS, RN
Virginia Beach, Oct. 7, 1996 by CNB