Editing LPN Scope of Practice (section)

== Assignment, Delegation, and the LPN ==

The LPN both receives and, in many states, gives direction. The LPN accepts assignments and delegated tasks from an RN and may in turn assign appropriate tasks to unlicensed assistive personnel when state rules allow. A recurring exam principle is that the LPN should be assigned patients who are '''stable with predictable outcomes''', while the RN takes the patient who is unstable, newly admitted, newly postoperative, or otherwise requiring complex assessment.

An LPN who is asked to perform a task outside legal scope, outside facility policy, or outside personal competence should decline the task, state the reason clearly, and notify the supervising RN so the patient's need is met by an appropriate provider. Declining in that circumstance is a professional obligation, not insubordination. See also [[LPN Delegation and Reporting]].