Nurses pulling chest tubes?

[lizzieB05]

I work on a cardiac care unit and we see A LOT of chest tubes. Recently we have learned that one particular doctor wants the nurses to pull the chest tubes when he decides they can be dc'd. Anyone have any thoughts? I am kinda annoyed at the idea-as if we dont have enough to do. But before I get too worked up I was wondering if anyone else out there pulls chest tubes for the docs. Is that even in our scope of practice?

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

Of course, I've always pulled them out.

[richard1980]

I work on a CV surgery stepdown unit. Our PA's or surgeons pull them along with mediastinal JPs and TPWs. For our CABG pts the CT usually comes out on POD 2 and wires and JP on 3. Am I the only one that thinks it makes sense to pull wires in the morning then pull the JP in the afternoon? Lately they pull them both at the same time; what if one of the wires rips some tissue and you have a bleed...at least with a JP you could catch it quickly without having to watch them tamponade before you realized they were bleeding.

[clayah]

Hi,

Can anyone help guide me to where I can find a Competency checklist or information to give an inservice on chest tubes>'

Greatly appreciated.

Clayak

[sarahrain]

We practise in our setting too by the nurses. Yes, it is in our scope of practice.

[nurseabc123]

all the time, meds and pleurals.

[CVICURN2003]

all the time, meds and pleurals.

ditto. We have to be "checked off" first by one of our CV MD's then by two other nurses that can pull CT's. We do not pull pacer wires however. The PA's do that.

[randomguy1972]

I work in a pediatric CICU and RNs pull all chest tubes, pacing wires, heart lines (catheters placed directly in the RA and LA), and pulmonary artery lines.

[WalkieTalkie, RN]

We pull CTs, JPs, A/V pacing wires, central lines, Swans, etc. The trick is learning each doc's suturing techniques.

[helpnurse]

I work on a cardiac surgery floor/step-down unit and it's the doctors who pull out chest tube. I guess every institution is different. (most nurses who are allowed to pull them out usually work in ICU or critical care setting ) Why do nurses keep getting more responsibility for the same pay and little respect...