Blood transfusions

carcha · Oct 21, 2004

I think Shodobe is really one of my work colleagues here in London. We do exactly the same as you. Hang and give blood, fluids, platelets, ffp's, gelo, we monitor urine output, do blood gases, prepare art and cvp and peripheral lines, iv medication,. I love it all, and lucky for us the medical team agree with a load of our suggestions and comments on patient care within the OR and PACU, so we get to plan a lot of intra and post op care as well. I dont feel at all like I'm going outside my domain as the md still has to make the final decision on what the patient actually has ect but it allows me to use my nursing knowledge and skills to make the journey a little more comfortable for the patient.

angel03 · Oct 22, 2004

I suppose every hospital is different depending on many factors.....We have CRNAs monitor techs interns and residents.....unfourtunately the RN staff does not administer blood, blood products or IV fluids.....WE check the products in write the verbal orders but we do not adminster them......This is solely the responsibility of anesthesia.......I do feel at times I have lost some skills..but this maintains control and continuity......If a patient is crashing and we need to help hang these produts we do.....(this has only happened to me 1 time in 20 years)....I take a lot of trauma call and am exposed to various situations....our anesthesia staff has adequate help usually....it is the our team that needs cloned or at least another set of arms........

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Oct 22, 2004

Anesthesia (an anesthesiologist, since we don't have CRNAs) hang and monitor it are our facility.

shodobe · Oct 22, 2004

Carcha and I do exactly the same things. I do it because I want to and I know the anesthesiologists appreciates all the help they can get. I don't think I could work at a hospital that limited what I can do to help with any difficult case. Whatever these techs can do I can do as well if not better. I like to get my hands dirty, so to speak, and it keeps up all my skills. Mike

carcha · Oct 24, 2004

Also as an aside, if a trauma case is out of PACU hours we recover the patient. When I am hanging fluids monitoring gasses ect, ect I have a better "feel" for the patient during the recovery period so to speak. I am not getting my information second hand from the anaesthetic provider whose on his way to the canteen. Anyway thats my take on it.