Arterial Blood Gases

[kiwistudentnurse]

Hi everyone!

I am doing an assignment on the respiratory system and we need to discuss tests relevant to our system. One of the ones I am discussing is Arterial Blood Gases (ABG's). I was curious, do nurses actually perform this test (e.g. to we actually draw the blood?) or is that out of our scope of practice?

Thanks :)

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Depends on a few things: scope of practice as stated in the NPA and facility policy. My facility, ABGs can only be drawn by nursing if an arterial line is present and they can draw from it without having to stick the patient. Sticking a patient who doesn't already have arterial access must be done by either respiratory therapy or MD/PA/NP.

[kiwistudentnurse]

Thank you for your help!

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Most places I've worked, the RN draws them from arterial lines, RRT sticks the pt. Where I work now, we ICU RNs do our own art sticks.

[wanderlustnurse88, RN]

I work in a small rural hospital. No arterial lines or respiratory therapy. The MD does the ABGs.

[Star., ADN, BSN]

I'm an ICU nurse and where I currently work the nurses get all ABG's a-line or not. We even get labs from there too using "butterflies" if there is no a-line. But in the past I worked in another facility where RT's were the only ones that got them. It just depends on the facility.

[nurseflip26, CRNA]

I work in a medium sized hospital (around 320 bed), in the ICU we draw our own ABGs both stick or art line. Out of the ICU, lab draws them. IMHO if you are allowed to do then learn how to. There's nothing more irritating then when you really needs to be done RIGHT NOW and you have to wait for someone else to come do it for you. This applies to a lot more then just ABGs too.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

On my unit the nurses do the ABGs. I didn't know there was an issue with nurses not doing them. I make sure the Istat cartridges are stocked.

[Xlorgguss]

I observed a RRT draw an ABG today and put of curiosity why is this typically done by respiratory? I always found it off because I never associate respiratory with lab work. Does RT do veinpuncture too?

[bebbercorn]

At my facility, RNs do them in the ED.

[canigraduate]

Most places I've worked, respiratory does them on the floor and in the ICU, unless there's an art line or a doc/NP/PA right there.

Why respiratory? ABGs assess effective respiratory function. Phlebs usually do the venous draws in most facilities, unless there is a central line in place, in which case the RNs draw it. Some small facilities don't use phlebs/RT and the RNs are responsible for all the lab draws.