Transfer of patient care

[emtI4now]

Regarding transfer of patient care in the ER, who do you have sign your run forms as who you released the patient to? Any staff member or do you require it to be an RN?

We are a rural BLS service, and the main hospital we transport to most generally has one RN on duty at a time after 7 pm. They do sometimes have an LPN or two as well, and of course the CNA's.

A question has come up regarding other staff members working in the hospital and who is allowed to accept patient care on the run form.

How do you handle this issue?

[JakeEMTP]

We'll get the RN who we give the PCR to too sign off the transfer. They're are the one we gave our verbal report to, so it makes sense to have them sign off.

[medik8]

We'll get the RN who we give the PCR to too sign off the transfer. They're are the one we gave our verbal report to, so it makes sense to have them sign off.

Always someone of equal or higher qualifications....

I, personally, won't release a patient to anyone but an RN or a doc.....and they have to sign.

Just prefer to cover my ass...that's all....

:bootyshake:

xoxo :roll:

Luv, 8

[emtI4now]

Always someone of equal or higher qualifications....

I, personally, won't release a patient to anyone but an RN or a doc.....and they have to sign.

Those were my thoughts as well. I don't think I got my point across very well. Another member stated that as long as the patient is released to the ER any staff member could sign because the hospital ER is the receiving facility and they are considered a higher level of care than we are. She said that if she were working in the hospital, as one of our members does work there as a CNA, then she should be allowed to accept and sign for the patient. My reply was that a CNA is not considered a higher level of care than we are so therefore they cannot accept the patient. We cannot give our radio report to a CNA, so I don't believe they should be allowed to accept the patient.

***sigh of frustration.....

Thanks.

[medik8]

:bs: I don't buy her reasoning. As far as I'm concerned....Fred the janitor, Mike the security guard and Susie the registrar work in the ER unit and are part of the "staff" also...but there're sure as hell not getting my patient. :shock:

P.S. You're welcome...

xoxoxo

Luv, 8

[Dustdevil]

Something to be considered is what the fine print above the receiving representatives signature says. What does it say? What exactly are they signing for? Are they accepting responsibility for the patient? Or are they simply acknowledging his arrival? Are they verifying any actions by the medic? All of these things have to be taken into consideration, not only by you, but by the agency you work for and the person signing the form.

This issue isn't particularly new, and when I drew up new PCR forms for an EMS agency in the 80's, it was a prime concern. After much discussion, it was decided that the signature line on the PCR would read something like:

• This way, very few hospital personnel feel uncomfortable signing it as they had been with the old form which was a lot of nebulous fine print using the word "responsibility." And it does not require a particular level of signer. And, as an intended side benefit, it stopped the complaints from nurses that they had not received patient reports or PCR copies from our people.

Of course, ultimately, your employer will have to decide who can and cannot sign. To my knowledge, there is no legal standard. And there certainly is no universally recognised standard in the US. Just read this board and you'll see how may two-bit agencies don't even fill out their PCR's until they are back at the station, much less get a signature. So, if you're doing this at all, signature or not, you're ahead of the game.