Are you doing this at work?

[vivasmom]

A thread about rural nursing got me thinking......are you doing this at your work?

Giving nebs

Drawing own labs

Starting your own iv's

Running own blood gasses

Cleaning own rooms

Walking pt to radiology, CT etc

Testing urine

Mixing meds

All caths, ng insertions, trach suctioning

???

[emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Giving nebs - mostly, for holds, respiratory will sometime do the nebs.

Drawing own labs - yep, unless no iv being started or "There will be no phlebotomy in the ER" is announced

Starting your own iv's - yep

Running own blood gasses - nope, done by respiratory

Cleaning own rooms - sometimes, depends on how much needs to be done.

Walking pt to radiology, CT etc - if I'm going with them to a test, they're not walking to it......

Testing urine - nope

Mixing meds - no longer, all meds now mixed by pharmacy. "I need that cardizem drip NOW!"

All caths, ng insertions, trach suctioning - yep

[LaughingRN]

giving nebs: always

drawing own labs: always

starting your own iv's: always

running own blood gasses: i draw them but don't "run" them

cleaning own rooms: sometimes, depend if housekeeping or a tech got there first, unless it was an isolation cleanup

walking pt to radiology, ct etc: radiology comes and picks all pt's up, if you are on trauma team then a nurse (sometimes trauma doc) accompany them after leaving trauma room (plus our pt's don't ever walk, they always ride in some form of wheeled appliance!)

testing urine: only ucg. everything else is sent to lab

mixing meds: never, around the clock pharmacy does that

all caths, ng insertions, trach suctioning: sometimes, depends on tech availability and/or capability.

this is at a large urban level 1 er

[LegzRN]

Giving nebs ... yes

Drawing own labs ... yes

Starting your own iv's ... yes

Running own blood gasses ... no

Cleaning own rooms ... sometimes

Walking pt to radiology, CT etc ... if they're critical and on the monitor

Testing urine ... yes

Mixing meds ... sometimes

All caths, ng insertions, trach suctioning ... yes

[JeneraterRN]

Giving nebs. Yes

Drawing own labs. Yes

Starting your own iv's. Yes

Running own blood gasses. No, our facility requires a certification.

Cleaning own rooms. Yes, though we do have housekeeping to mop.

Walking pt to radiology, CT etc. Yes

Testing urine. Sometimes

Mixing meds. Oh, yes.

All caths, ng insertions, trach suctioning. Yes

We're critical access hospital, and like many other rural nurses, carry out duties usually assigned to a team of people. We also do our own EKG's.

[thelema13]

Giving nebs- NO RESP DOES

Drawing own labs- MOSTLY

Starting your own iv's- ALWAYS

Running own blood gasses- NO RESP DOES

Cleaning own rooms- SOMETIMES

Walking pt to radiology, CT etc- SOMETIMES

Testing urine- NOPE

Mixing meds- SOMETIMES

All caths, ng insertions, trach suctioning- ALWAYS

I work at a rural 34 bed ED in Florida, not counting the 'nonexistent' hallway beds during season.

[MrWarmHearted]

In the ER, you better be able to do all that you mentioned - especially if it gets busy. Some facilities have very limited budgets (i.e. not enough cleaners/techs - so you just have to do it in order to take care of other patients who have been waiting).

makes you a more complete nurse;)

[nuangel1, BSN, RN]

giving nebs yes

drawing labs yes

starting own ivs always

running abg no we draw and send it via tube to lab

clean own rooms sometimes

walking pt to lab ct etc no though we do travel with critical pts

testing urine no

mixing meds yes

all caths,ng,trach suctioning etc yes

[murphyle, BSN, RN]

Major community hospital in a major metropolitan area, working the midnight shift...

Giving nebs: No, Respiratory does this.

Drawing own labs: Yes.

Starting your own IVs: Yes. If you have a tech to help you (see #2), that's bonus. Otherwise you do it yourself.

Running own blood gases: Not really. Respiratory does arterial sticks, we draw off A-lines. Either way they get tubed down to Lab for the actual testing.

Cleaning own rooms: Yes, unless it was an isolation clean (MRSA, VRE, C. diff, then we call Environmental Services).

Walking pt to radiology, CT etc: Yes. Again, if you have departmental transport, that's bonus.

Testing urine: No. Collect it and send it to lab.

Mixing meds: Sometimes. Emergent stuff (vasoactives, cardioactives) and some antibiotics we mix ourselves until Pharmacy can get us an in-house bag.

Caths, NG insertions: Yes.

Trach suctioning: Yes, though Respiratory does the initial oral care and deep suction on newly intubated/vented patients (part of the VAP bundle).

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

A thread about rural nursing got me thinking......are you doing this at your work?

Giving nebs

Drawing own labs

Starting your own iv's

Running own blood gasses

Cleaning own rooms

Walking pt to radiology, CT etc

Testing urine

Mixing meds

All caths, ng insertions, trach suctioning

???

* Nebs are given by RT.

* Phlebotomists come to draw out labs unless the patient has a central line. In the ICU, the nurses draw all of their own labs regardless of central/art line access or not.

* We start our own IV's.

* Lab runs our blood gasses.

* Housekeeping cleans our rooms, but they do not touch medical equipment (monitors and and IV pumps) so we are responsible to wiping those down and getting rid of all of the IV tubing when a patient leaves.

* We have to bring our patients down to the CT/radiology. That was one of my biggest gripes because at the other hospital I worked at either the person from CT/radiology would come up and get the patient or patient transport. The only time a nurse would go is if the patient is critically ill and is on a vent or something. Usually CT/radiology would bring the patient back up to us unless of course the patient is critically ill and is on a vent. I usually delegate bringing the patient down to the CNA's.

* Testing urine - lab does it.

* Mixing meds - typically the nursing supervisor will do this.

* All caths, NG insertion trach suctioning - we do it. RT will do trach care/suctioning, too.

[Crux1024]

giving nebs not allowed, rts territory.

drawing own labs all the time, though there is a phlebotomy team. usually done to save them a stick.

starting your own iv's. yes, thats expected of us. iv team is for port access.

running own blood gasses. once again, not allowed. only rts.

cleaning own rooms. alllll the time.

walking pt to radiology, ct etc. only with monitored/vented pts. radiology usually has aids come to get pts, or the rad techs themselves when it gets late.

testing urine. yes.

mixing meds. nope.

all caths, ng insertions, trach suctioning. i do caths on a regular basis, but our techs are supposed to. ngs and trach suctioning are our territory (or the rt for the latter). we also can do ekgs, but once again, we're supposed to encourage the techs to do that to free us up for more "nursing" like duties. it works sometimes, but theres too many rooms and not enough techs, as usual.

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Giving nebs: yes (no RT on nights)

Drawing own labs: yes, or our medics do it

Starting your own IVs: yes, or our medics do it

Running own blood gasses: obtain, yes; run, no

Cleaning own rooms: when we can't find housekeeping

Walking pt to radiology, CT etc: yes, or our medics do it

Testing urine: nope

Mixing meds: yep (no pharmacy in house after 2300 anyway)

All caths, NG insertions, trach suctioning: yep, not a lot of trach action in our ER though

[TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP]

giving nebs emergently, then rt does the rest

drawing own labs yes, and occasionally running a stat-bmp

starting your own iv's yes - and after two sticks, you go find another ed nurse to have a try

running own blood gasses no - rt does it

cleaning own rooms charge sometimes does when evs is busy

walking pt to radiology, ct etc no, though i will sometimes accompany for lift-assist or if pt on tele

testing urine ucg and urine dip - urine is sent off to lab for a formal ua and for culture

mixing meds rarely

all caths, ng insertions, trach suctioning i do catheter and ng insertions; rt usually does trach suctioning in the rare instance it is needed, but i can and have done it when the rt was busy with another pt

i work in a suburban community ed whose catchment area is mostly an underserved, economically depressed urban neighborhood