Unlicensed staff are vital to ensuring an efficient patient flow in medical practices. Many tasks are safely and effectively carried out by skilled unlicensed support staff every day. To reach such efficiencies with safety and reliability, practices must pay careful attention to scope of practice and state and local statutes regarding delegation and supervision.
Loss Lessons: Practicing Out of Bounds provides strategies for establishing policies and protocols to address scope of practice for unlicensed staff, including when they must consult with licensed staff. A case example illustrates how informal verbal guidelines can cause well-meaning staff to cross boundaries that potentially lead to patient harm.
Learners who successfully complete the activity can qualify for 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM or 0.25 ANCC contact hour. Find this course and a complete catalog of activities.
The Doctor’s Advocate is published by The Doctors Company to advise and inform its members about loss prevention and insurance issues.
The guidelines suggested in this newsletter are not rules, do not constitute legal advice, and do not ensure a successful outcome. They attempt to define principles of practice for providing appropriate care. The principles are not inclusive of all proper methods of care nor exclusive of other methods reasonably directed at obtaining the same results.
The ultimate decision regarding the appropriateness of any treatment must be made by each healthcare provider considering the circumstances of the individual situation and in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which the care is rendered.
The Doctor’s Advocate is published quarterly by Corporate Communications, The Doctors Company. Letters and articles, to be edited and published at the editor’s discretion, are welcome. The views expressed are those of the letter writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or official policy of The Doctors Company. Please sign your letters, and address them to the editor.