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Telephone Orders
Purpose:
- To clarify the roles and responsibilities of physicians and nurses regarding telephone orders.
- To insure public protection and assure quality of care.
Physicians, nurses and other health care providers rely on the professional skills and integrity of all participants in the health care delivery process.
Physicians are responsible to assure that the orders communicated are appropriate to the situation, and that orders are accurately relayed from the physician's office.
Nurses may accept physician orders via telephone from office personnel designated by the physician. In receiving orders from physician offices, nurses are responsible for recognizing the appropriateness of the order with respect to the plan of care, and for implementing the order or obtaining clarification.
Dated: February 1995
