Help needed from any with cath lab experience

Specialties Cardiac

Published

Hello all. I'm an RT in a small cath lab. I'm writing today because one of my teammates needs an answer to this problem.

How many is the absolute minimum amount of RNs you'd accept being available for a cardiac catheterization?

We work in a single room, low risk lab.

The Nurse here is scheduled to be the only RN available for a day. She will have a CVT and an RT with her (I'm the RT). She believes that to be safe, there should be two nurses minimum on the unit, in case of emergency. Her view is that if there is a code situation, she's the only person who can push drugs.

Would any any of you CCL nurses here be okay with working with nobody else, other than an RT and a CVT? Is it legal?

thank you.

When I worked in the cath lab years ago, we always had an RT and 2 RNs on the call team - Two RNs in case of an emergency situation. (We had multiple labs running during the day, so scrub techs were utilized in place of RNs scrubbing most of the time. But the scrub techs didn't take call.)

I work endo in a free standing facility, and WE have to have two RNs at all times present in the facility. And our cases involve far less risk than cath lab. Doesn't sound safe to me.

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