Can LPNs Flush PICC Lines In Ohio?

Nurses LPN/LVN

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Specializes in rehab, LTC, derm. and surgery.

I am IV certified and pretty sure they taught us in school that we can not flush PICC lines as LPNs. the facility I work for swears that I can. I read the law on flushing PICC lines in the state of Ohio but honestly I don't understand it. Does anyone know?

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You are correct. I work @ a hospital & per our policy & what I have from OBN it says that an LPN cannot flush something terminating in other than a peripheral vein. They may try and get you to do it but don't fall for it because ultimately it is your license and you alone on the line! no one will be there to back you up when something goes wrong.... stay within your scope of practice. If your employer gives you grief tell them to contact the OBN. Good luck.

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OK, so the board of nursing has sent an email to our director of nursing stating that nowhere in the law does it say anything about an IV terminating in a peripheral vein. Now I am really confused. I was always taught in the 7 years I was a LPN and now as a RN that we could not touch anything but a regular old IV. Now we have LPN's at my place of employment flushing PICC lines, taking down tubing off of ATB lines on PICC's. Noone seems to be really sure, but the DON is enforcing this email. Weird. I say, protect your own butt and license!

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Ok I dug out my LPN Ohio Board papers we got during our IV course last year.. or year before.. can't remember.. but it says" LPN may " initiate convert and flush peripheral intermittent infusion devices/heparin locks. and it goes on and on.. your right about not specifying " terminating" ... but in all the other do's and don'ts it will specifically refer to a PICC line when it means to. and in this last remark it did not, so I take it as that we cannot flush one.. now you've got my interest sparked. I am going to question my nursing education dept. I know their response already... due to our policy.. but I am curious on their take in the matter. Will let you know....

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Specializes in rehab, LTC, derm. and surgery.

Section 4723.17 ORC does not explicitly prohibit an IV therapy certifed LPN from administering normal saline and/or Heparin through an intermittent infusion device. This section of the law does not differentiate whether or not the intermittent infusion device is a PICC line or a peripheral line. Therefore if a PICC line is "capped off" or is an intermittent infusion device, the LPN is not prohibited from administering the normal saline or Heparin if directed to do so by an RN who has determined that the clinical situation is appropriate for the LPN to do so.

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Specializes in Trauma, ER, Cardiology & Spinal Rehab.

LPNs flush PICCs & get blood from them in my hospital (Ruby Memorial - Morgantown, WV)

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rehabnUr3e said:
Section 4723.17 ORC does not explicitly prohibit an IV therapy certifed LPN from administering normal saline and/or Heparin through an intermittent infusion device. This section of the law does not differentiate whether or not the intermittent infusion device is a PICC line or a peripheral line. Therefore if a PICC line is "capped off" or is an intermittent infusion device, the LPN is not prohibited from administering the normal saline or Heparin if directed to do so by an RN who has determined that the clinical situation is appropriate for the LPN to do so.

So they have pretty much left this up to individual facility interpretation.

well, I still would have an RN back me up on this cause it is in the central vein. To each his own I guess. Thanks for getting the info 

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As a licensed nurse in Ohio and in South Carolina..I am allowed to do so "if" a RN is present and avaliable during this. Under direct supervision of an R.N.

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Specializes in LTC,HOSPITAL,HOME CARE,TRAVELING.

I have found this to be facility specific .Hospitals usually no,LTC depends on their policy.I remeber asking the board and they e mailed me the policy/jargon they wrote up which is gray.I was able to decipher that we are allowed to hang I.V. bags (atb's,nss,d5.45 etc.) if it is the consecutive bag on PICC lines and triple lumens.If I am wrong please let me know.

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its not worth your license! I got out of nursing school less than a year ago and over and over we were told lpns CAN NOT flush picc lines. all you can do is dressing changes on it and IV certified LPN's can insert IV's from the ac space down.

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