Follow
Share

I am asked regularly to assist with vitals clinics in assisting living and memory care facilities. I am not a nurse or even an MA. Is it legal for me to take a blood pressure or weight of a patient and record it for the required monthly vitals in such a community as an outside vendor?

Find Care & Housing
Sorry, I don't know what you mean as an outside vendor. What do you actually provide for this facility. Since your a vendor and not an employee, you could say no because I have no experience I guess. This is usually done by the staff of the facility. CNAs can do bloodpressure and weight.

Do your mean outside contractor, where you are paid by the facility.
Helpful Answer (0)
Reply to JoAnn29
Report

Do you work for this vendor? What exactly is the contract for?
Helpful Answer (0)
Reply to PeggySue2020
Report

That sounds like a question for your employer.
I assume your employer is being contracted by these facilities.
If you don't feel you have the qualified credentials, you probably have a supervisor who is responsible for your work.
Helpful Answer (0)
Reply to CaringWifeAZ
Report

Yes, absolutely. It takes minimal expertise to put someone on a scale and record the weight. A family member can do it in circumstances with the loved one living at home. As to blood pressure, again, yes, perfectly legal to be taking and recording daily blood pressures and is often required when a person is on any sort of diuretic medication or is diagnosed with chronic CHF.
You would, if not using an AUTOMATIC BP device (which is more or less the norm these days) be trained and tested to do blood pressure, but if your hearing is intact and you can see, this is a simple procedure. Not rocket science at all, and not a medical procedure.

If you do not feel confident about the ability to learn this skill regarding BP, or to record measurements, or to weigh people, you may be in the wrong job.
I would discuss this with your administration to see if you have or can learn the proper skills to do this. Not a lot more difficult than making a bed, really.
Helpful Answer (0)
Reply to AlvaDeer
Report

Thank you, everyone, for your input. I appreciate the feedback.
Just to clarify, it is certainly not that I am not comfortable in doing so, or that I am not trained to do so, my question was more of a legal aspect as to rather this is within the law being that I am not a family member or a clinician.
I have worked for agencies that stated that it is not legal to touch a patient if you are not a clinician and agencies who state that vital clinics are okay.
In short, I am very competent in providing the services, the question is rather it is legal?
The law is vague, it states that family members or MA’s can provide these services, it doesn’t clarify rather a non skilled healthcare services representative is legal to provide these services.
I have assisted in more vitals clinics than I can count over the 30 years of my career, I am curious as to why some employers say that it is not legal to do so and others say it is fine?
Helpful Answer (0)
Reply to Ckell77721
Report
AlvaDeer Dec 24, 2025
I think you are speaking of being able to, and taking blood pressures versus being HIRED to provide this, what some may believe, medical service. There may well be an agency you work for that says "You are NOT to do medical procedures such as blood sugar testing, blood pressure testing, etc. We are not covered for you to do that. That is the purview of their medical providers. If so, that is the rule of that agency. However, if you are qualified and trained to do blood pressures, and your neighbor asks you to do it, feel free to do so. HOWEVER if the pressure is HIGH there is the problem. Because it needs addressing. So for instance: I am an RN. When my neighbor calls and says "My grandson fell off the swing and hit his head. What should I do. He seems fine"--I as an RN better advise them to check it out. Providing medical information to them could endanger my license. I might say "Oh, Johnny is fine" and Johnny may later, get sleepy and pass out. And may die of brain hemorrhage in his sleep. Then the neighbor can say "She is an RN. She said he was fine" and in court I would be asked "Did you advise he was all right? Were his pupils tested? Did you warn them to make certain for at least 24 hours that he is arousable" Blah blah and my license is gone. When people would ask me for medical advise I would tell them discuss with your doctor; a nurse would be wrong to advise you; it is playing doctor. So your question falls into attorney territory. THAT is always muddy and murky.
(1)
Report
Sorry, I still do not understand the question. If you are a vendor, why would you be involved in anything like this? Vendors are people that a product or service. What do you provide? To whom do you provide this product or service and why is it felt as a vendor you can do BP and weight. Your not an employee, right. Your are not paid by these people?
Helpful Answer (0)
Reply to JoAnn29
Report
JoAnn29 Dec 25, 2025
That sell a product or service
(0)
Report
This would be a question for your employer.
Helpful Answer (0)
Reply to brandee
Report

Ask a Question
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter