[BRobison]

Are any of you out there involved in providing "conscious sedation," or "procedural sedation?"
If so, in what setting?
Any guidelines or tips from your experiences?
Thanks

[meandragonbrett]

I Know that Oral surgeons use it quite frequently. When I had it they gave me IV demerol and Versed to induce the sedation

Brett

[ageless]

we use it regularly...always use pulse ox, cardiac monitering, b/p etc...and make sure the narcan and flumazenil are available.

[BRobison]

are you using primarily fentanyl and versed?
Any propofol, drip or otherwise?
Do RNs in your facilty "do" the conscious sedation, or is it always CRNAs?
Thanks

[ageless]

RNs certified to give conscious sedation give fentanyl, demerol, and versed in special procedures like endoscopy, line placements, epidurals injections, etc....I have given CS in the OR and in acute care settings. Hope this is helpful.

[meandragonbrett]

At my hospital RNs don't give CS only Anesthesia staff does. They mostly use a combination of ativan, Versed, and Demerol. No fent or propofol. They use it in the OR often and in our GI suites

Brett

[nilepoc]

In my ICU, we do all or our own CS. We use loads of versed, fentanyl, ativan, MSO4, and the occasional dose of ketamine. For kids, loads of ketamine and the occasional sufentanyl. We monitor all of our patients on monitors. Our hospital is currently instituting a CS team that will rove the hospital and give the CS. If I wasn't leaving for school, I would consider doing call for them.

[BRobison]

"ageless," when you say "certified," who does that certifying?
Is it something done w/in your facility?
I have been scouring the web for nurse practice acts and other info I can find, and I don't see anything addressing that, so am wondering if there is a national standard, or if it is done "facility by facility."
Thanks

[ageless]

I am required to take an bi-annual class in the hospital's education department. No national standard that i know of.

[LilgirlRN]

We use conscious sedation all the time, all the paperwork is a pain in the butt. We use demerol, phenergan, versed unless the patient has an allergy to one of those. Ketamine is considered and anesthetic agent, so we aren't allowed to give it, if the doc is dead set on ketamine, anesthesia comes down to give it.