suturing information required

suzanne4, RN · Dec 24, 2004

Hi there
In my unit nurses are now being expected to suture. Does anyone have any references, information or protocols about nurses and the role of suturing? Thanks Merry Christmas to all. : :Santa5:

Where are you working, which state, and what type of unit?

In the US, suturing is a responsibility of the physican, or nurse practitioner, or physician assistant, or RNFA.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Dec 24, 2004

Welcome to allnurses. I would post this in the general forum, if I were you, or the ER forum, where you might get more replies.

Here, only the ARNP's are allowed to suture.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Dec 24, 2004

Same here.......I imagine that someday we'll be taught (and licensed) to suture, but for now only advanced-practice nurses can do this.

vortex72 · Dec 24, 2004

Well this depends on the setting.

Technically, RN's arent allowed to suture. However, in surgery, first assist RN's harvest veins from the leg for CABG's(this is a major surgical procedure) In shock trauma, medical students stitch up head lacs, and they have no license at all! Both of these instances technically occur under the umbrella of a supervising MD. Are they legal? I guess so at least in a teaching hospital.

Is this the setting you are in?

suzanne4, RN · Dec 28, 2004

Well this depends on the setting.
Technically, RN's arent allowed to suture. However, in surgery, first assist RN's harvest veins from the leg for CABG's(this is a major surgical procedure) In shock trauma, medical students stitch up head lacs, and they have no license at all! Both of these instances technically occur under the umbrella of a supervising MD. Are they legal? I guess so at least in a teaching hospital.
Is this the setting you are in?

RNFAs go thru a specific training program, have to have a CNOR, 2000 hours in a preceptorship program, etc. Medical students are working under the licnese of the physician. A nurse works under her own license, even when it comes to harvesting veins, etc.

URO-RN · Dec 28, 2004

Hi and welcome:)

gwenith, BSN, RN · Dec 28, 2004

I am moving this to Emergency Nursing so that you can get more specific information in the meantime try these sites

http://www.surgeons.org/edu/

http://www.enw.org

http://www.nyerrn.com/er/tpics.htm

PA-C in Texas · Dec 28, 2004

I don't mean to offend you, but this sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Suturing isn't difficult, but good suturing is not something that you just up and decide to do.

Do you know which techniques to use if you are concerned about adequate wound eversion? Do you know the differences in needles and when to use them? Do you feel like you can judge how much tension to use so as to minimize crosshatching and tissue strangulation when using a vertical mattress technique? Why would it be best to use a monofilament material instead of a multifilament for a pulley stitch? Why would it be better to use Novafil instead of Prolene when tissues might swell significantly?

If you can't answer these questions, its probably not a good idea to be performing wound closure. I don't have any problem with RN's doing simple wound closure, but they need good and rigorous training to do it.

I can do an awesome job using a subcuticular stitch on someone's face, but I didn't learn how to do it by reading an article.

Sarah, RNBScN · Dec 28, 2004

In Ontario, suturing is a responsibility of the physican, or nurse practitioner, or RNFA. I have never met a physicians assistant. What schooling do they have? Is that only in the US? Curious.

Sarah

suzanne4, RN · Dec 28, 2004

Hi there
In my unit nurses are now being expected to suture. Does anyone have any references, information or protocols about nurses and the role of suturing? Thanks Merry Christmas to all. : :Santa5:

What country are you in and what type of department do you work in?

suzanne4, RN · Dec 28, 2004

A physician's assistant program is 2 years post B.S. degree.