Can CNA do an accucheck?

[QuigRN]

I was wondering if there is any circumstance wherein a CNA would be allowed to do an accucheck? Is this something that they would ever be allowed to do if trained?

I oversee a nurse aide training program and boy, those students ask a lot of guestions!

Thanks!

[Lisa CCU RN, RN]

It's not unheard of. I know CNA's that do straight caths and indwelling catheters.

[blueheaven]

It will depend on the policy of the institution that your future CNAs work at. There is no reason that I can see why a CNA couldn't perform accuchecks if properly oriented to the equipment.

[km5v6r, EdD, RN]

All of the hospitals in this area have the CNA's do the accu-checks. They report the results to the nurse who then act on the results. The hospital provides the training for the specific machine used.

[TrudyRN]

It will depend on the policy of the institution that your future CNAs work at. There is no reason that I can see why a CNA couldn't perform accuchecks if properly oriented to the equipment.

:yeahthat:

[snowfreeze, BSN, RN]

The nurse aids in the facility I work in do accuchecks, they can go through special training for advanced skills also and are than able to insert and discontinue foleys, discontinue IVs(peripherals only), and do basic dressing changes. These skills are extremely helpful on the busy telemetry unit I work on.

[allele, LPN]

Yep, depends on facility policy, but I'll bet many hospitals have the aides do blood sugars! Where I work, the aides perform accuchecks, EKGs, phlebotomy (after a class offered by the hospital) and they are also cross trained to read the cardiac rhythms and sit at the monitors (after training, testing and orientation to the position, of course!). They do quite a bit! As a CNA I used to work rehab, and I performed MANY straight caths on our spinal cord injured patients! I'm guessing nursing homes may not offer as many skills, but what a great experience in helping to perform ADLs! And you're right, they DO ask a LOT of questions!! lol!! I love it! I've learned so much myself! :)

[marilynmom, LPN, NP]

When I was a CNA I used accucheck all the time and reported the number to the RN. Saved the RN a lot of time, especially with q1h checks.

[Lorie P.]

it depends on the facility, our cna's can d/c iv's, insert or d/c foley's and draw blood after being trained, but get this no blood sugar checks, admin says that is a nurse's job. now what is wrong with this picture??

[crysobrn]

They do at our hospital!!

[banditrn]

When I was a patient at a hospital in Illinois the CNA did the Accu-checks - but at the LTC where I work they won't even let them do vitals or remove a foley from a deceased person!:uhoh21:

[99RosesRN]

it depends on the facility, our cna's can d/c iv's, insert or d/c foley's and draw blood after being trained, but get this no blood sugar checks, admin says that is a nurse's job. now what is wrong with this picture??

on the surface i understand your being perplexed. but think about it again, how comfortable are you administering medication based on someone elses assesments? in our facility there were select aides who were allowed to obtain blood pressures, do simple dressings and perform accuchecks. unfortunately a 444 was covered by the rn and resulted in the patient being admitted to the icu and having a near death experience. i know she should have rechecked a value heself, as a matter of fact, that was policy for any result over 250. this incident resulted in cna's no longer being allowed to get "finger sticks."

the other tasks that you describe are just completely over the top. too many opportunities for serious injuries to the patients (and all of this on the rn's license)