[arnfinally]

We assume total care of CCU/ICU patients when they come to Interventional Radiology only, including transporting the patient from the unit down to our area.

If the patient is coming down to CT, NM or MRI the Primary RN is expected to accompany the patients while in our department.

My nurses and I do whatever is typically required of a nurse, titrate drips as necessary, personal care needs, address immediate medical needs and administer conscious sedation. Most often we return the patients in much better shape than we received them, they are cleaned up as needed, the beds are changed as this is easier to do and the correct thing to do after a invasive procedure and all the lines and monitoring equipment are detangled. Which is most often not the case when we go get the patients regardless that we have called to inform them that we were on our way to tranport patient.

While Radiology/Imaging RN's often get little support and their practice is scrutinized by their peers, often they give the staff or primary RN "leaway" (sp?) or attempt to understand that we do not know what has been going on during her shift that might have understandably delayed routine care/caused the patient's current situation.

Nursing also needs to remember that not all procedure room/imaging room have all the same resources that are required to care for everyday needs of an CCU patient, because it would be cost and space prohibitive, especially if you are only expecting the patient in the department of a diagnostic exam.

Radiology/Imaging RN's through their committment to persevere, their level of expertise and flexibility to deal with all age groups and manage a continually flexing environment is a testiment of the skill level, which is way to often overlooked in Hosptials accross the country.

["McLovin"]

When ICU patients come down to the Angio room some ICU RN's stay and some do not. As the Radiology Nurse I usually decide if I need assistance from the ICU nurse depending on the patient. For example, if the patient is not stable, on multiple pressors and is receiving multiple blood products I would want the ICU RN to stay. We only have one RN to a case in our Angio room. Also, some ICU RN's feel comfortable leaving their patients with an IR Nurse. Usually IR nurses have ER or ICU experience and are familiar with titrating drips, pts on vents, and ACLS certified. As long as there is a qualified RN to committed to assume care of the patient during the procedure then I don't think it is necessary for the ICU RN to stay. However, if they want to stay I have absolutely no problem with that.