Allen's test and diagnosing

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.

This goes back a few years to my ER orientation....out educator said to make sure we do an Allen's test before we do an ABG (yeah, basic nursing, I know). Anyway, she they said that we cannot chart "Allen's test positive" because this would be "diagnosing" and nurse don't diagnose. Instead, per our educator, we have to chart "Allen's test performed with positive ulnar blood flow." Now I realize that the latter statement is only a few words longer than the former, but does saying that Allen's test was positive really constitute making a diagnosis? If so, any more of a diagnosis that saying "positive ulnar blood flow?"

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Well that's just plain goofy.

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Specializes in ER/ICU/STICU.

Ridiculous. That is saying the same thing as a positive Allen's Test in a round about way. An Allen's Test is not a diagnosis, it is an assessment of collateral blood flow to the hand via the ulnar artery.

I'd ask the educator to back that statement up.

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
Ridiculous. That is saying the same thing as a positive Allen's Test in a round about way. An Allen's Test is not a diagnosis, it is an assessment of collateral blood flow to the hand via the ulnar artery.

I'd ask the educator to back that statement up.

While I agree with the first part, as for the second...you have to pick you battles and that is not one that is worth it.

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Specializes in Emergency, ICU.

I agree with the above statements. Saying "Allen test positive" is not diagnosing anything. I mean, what are you diagnosing? Collateral blood flow? That's not an illness -- it's a biological fact. Some instructors need to do a little "practicing" on the side to keep their skills and critical thinking alive...:twocents:

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

We do them all the time in our unit. You aren't diagnosing anything, you are performing a safety check, if you will, before you do an ABG. If you don't document it, and something happens to that patient's hand, you are up the big creek without paddles or even a boat. Your instructer needs to review policy and procedure, I am sure it is in there also.

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