Ca RNs drawing blood?

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

Are nurses in California allowed to draw blood? We had an incident today where the nurse drew the patients blood during the I.V. start for a type and hold/cross because the patient was deathly afraid of needles and refused to be poke anymore. The lab tech got all bent out of shape and said she would have to check with the manager to make sure "us nurses" were "allowed to draw blood for cross match" I though drawing blood was with the nurses scope of practice, can we give blood but not draw specific labs??

[youknowho]

We can draw blood, draw labs. That tech obviously might have been feeling threatened by you doing this?? In the ICU were I work, we draw everything ourselves (except from a dialysis catheter) and there are no techs.

[Mike A. Fungin RN]

Might be facility specific. They can always limit our scope of practice within house. i.e. RT's and medics can't intubate at my hospital.

[shodobe]

ER always draws for labs while starting an IV. Sounds like Tech a little bent out of shape.

[itsthegreeneyes]

I think it might be facility specific. At my facility, the RNs do most lab draws especially on admission as we only have lab techs in the morning. I know there are probably more stringent protocols regarding everything related to administering blood products. RNs draw them and can, but two separate RNs must complete two separate pokes if the patient is new to the facility and they need both a type+screen and a blood type verification.

[LatanyaMay2006]

I think the lab tech probably felt threatened when he/she found out that the nurse had drawn the blood. Last time I read, it was within our scope of practice to draw blood! "Us nurses" are glad to have lab techs come around and get a sample, but if I have to, I can get my own...

[love-d-OR]

:lol2::lol2: sounds like a joke to me!!

[nursel56]

Yes, we can draw blood, and as an LVN I have a Blood Withdrawal Certification attached to my license.