Do Rn's need to be Picc and IV certified?

Nurses General Nursing

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Two of the agencies I work for won't let me work with Iv or broviacs and tpn because they said Rn's need to be certified for both. This is what I believed since 2008,when I became an Rn. I was an lpn for 4 years proir and had not done them before.Another agency tell me I don't need to be certified because I am an Rn. They all looked at me crazy in the office because I had never worked with either before. But I don't know how they expect for me to do something when I had ever did it before. The nursing supervisor that hired me even told me that they don't take those kinds of cases,so it was a shock when the new one that came on board expected it.

Depends on the facility policy and they differ from place to place. I imagine it is a liability thing?

Never do anything you haven't been trained in. You don't need to be certified in insertion to access or use a PICC, but you need to have been oriented and trained on them. If the agency requires their own "certification," then they can provide the learning opportunities to achieve it, or sponsor you to attend a class elsewhere. Volunteer to do that; it will make you look like an eager learner and willing to help the team.

Specializes in Pedi.
Two of the agencies I work for won't let me work with Iv or broviacs and tpn because they said Rn's need to be certified for both. This is what I believed since 2008,when I became an Rn. I was an lpn for 4 years proir and had not done them before.Another agency tell me I don't need to be certified because I am an Rn. They all looked at me crazy in the office because I had never worked with either before. But I don't know how they expect for me to do something when I had ever did it before. The nursing supervisor that hired me even told me that they don't take those kinds of cases,so it was a shock when the new one that came on board expected it.

I'd say the issue is less your lack of "certification" and more your lack of experience. You mention agencies... is this home health? If so, I wouldn't expect the agencies to allow you to work on cases that require you to administer TPN or maintain a broviac because you'd be expected to independently do these things that you haven't been trained to do.

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