Phlebotomy in the ER

[gemmi999]

Maybe I've been spoiled, but I've worked in 3 separate ERs at this point and until now have always had Phlebotomy *generally* available (except for emergencies, etc).

I'm in a new ER and tonight, on one of the busiest nights of the year with the flu, etc, we had no phlebotomy. I was phlebotomy drawing all the labs in the lobby. I've never had to do this before.

Does this happen a lot in other ERs? Do RNs do *all* the blood draws, even on patient's that are waiting to have a bed/chair/be assigned an RN?

[Shanimal]

Does this happen a lot in other ERs? Do RNs do *all* the blood draws, even on patient's that are waiting to have a bed/chair/be assigned an RN?

Wow, I think I might get spoiled too if we had a dedicated ER phlebotomist. In the ERs I've worked at the RNs and ER techs do all of the IVs and blood draws.

[gemmi999]

Wow, I think I might get spoiled too if we had a dedicated ER phlebotomist. In the ERs I've worked at the RNs and ER techs do all of the IVs and blood draws.

Maybe I have been spoiled! I put in all ordered IVs/do blood drawns/repeat levels on my pt's when they're assigned, but on the 50+ people the waiting room who the MD saw but there is no nurse, I've typically never had to draw blood. Lab/CT/Xray etc grabbed them from the lobby and took them to their respective departments to do what was necessary.