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Question
Can the Registered Nurse Delegation delegate to the nursing assistant to administer naloxone for a suspected opioid overdose?
Answer

The Registered Nurse may delegate administration of an intranasal opioid antagonist (such as naloxone) only in community-based (adult family homes, assisted living facilities, and community residential programs for people with developmental disabilities), in-home care settings, and K-12 public and private schools. It is not within the Registered Nurse’s scope of practice to delegate administration of an opioid antagonist by injection in any setting. RCW 69.41.095 provides an exception to the nursing delegation laws and rules and does not require nursing delegation for a nursing assistant-registered or nursing assistant-certified to administer naloxone. The Registered Nurse should use the Scope of Practice Decision Tree to determine if specific activities are within the registered nurse’s legal and individual scope of practice. For more information, go to the Washington State Department of Health Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution Website.

FAQ Category
Prevention and Treatment of Opioid-Related Overdoses
Audience