Two days postoperative, which action by the LPN/LVN is within scope of practice?

• A. Administer morphine
• B. Evaluate BMP lab results
• C. Plan of care education
• D. Conduct diagnostic imaging

Answer: (A)

Giving morphine as prescribed fits within the LPN/LVN scope in the postoperative setting. After surgery, pain control is a key part of patient care, and administering opioids according to a physician’s orders (and within facility protocols) is something an LPN/LVN is trained to do. The role includes following the order, ensuring the correct dose and route, and monitoring the patient afterward for effectiveness and adverse effects such as respiratory depression, sedation, or changes in vital signs, then reporting findings to the supervising RN.

Evaluating BMP results requires interpretation and potential changes to the care plan, which is beyond the LPN/LVN scope and typically reserved for an RN or the ordering clinician. Planning the care plan itself is a nursing process activity led by an RN or the appropriate licensed professional, not something an LPN/LVN develops from scratch. Conducting diagnostic imaging is outside the LPN/LVN scope as well, since imaging tests are ordered, performed, and interpreted by other qualified personnel.