Can Nurses Give Stitches?

[swimincatz]

I haven't yet started nursing school so I'm not entirely sure what all a nurse gets to do. I'm curious, can a nurse give stitches? Can you get a "certification" to give them, or is that a doctor's job? Can nurses with advanced degrees give stitches?

thanks!

[hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN]

Typically, only advance practice nurses (CNS and NPs) are trained in this skill.

[vashtee, RN]

I can't. I'd love to, though.

[deleern]

I have done it on a horse or two when I was on the farm as a kid, but this would be out of my scope of practice as an RN.

[FA to CRNA2b]

RNFAs and CRNFAs

[gun]

in my country, nurses can give stitches and they are trained during their academy/classes. we can even repair the episiotomy during the labour. So i hthink it depends upon the policy of each countries.

[kishinne]

legality based..its the doctors/surgeon who do stitches...

[RNperdiem, RN]

We can remove stitches.

Not all stitches are created equal.

If suturing on the face is required, plastic surgeons are responsible where I work. I am still awed at the precise and tiny sutures that can take an hour or more to put in.

[GilaRRT]

Yes, nurses can suture in some areas/facilities. In fact procedures such as nail removal and laceration repair are techniques taught to many APN's such as FNP's. I did small laceration repair in the military and in Afghanistan as a clinician; however, nurses do not typically suture in the united states. (Exception being APN's.) In addition, is this something you want to add to your already busy schedule?

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

In some hospitals RNs can suture, though I've only seen OR nurses closing wounds.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

An RNs license does not permit them to perform suturing. But there are exceptions. Advanced practice nurses are trained to suture. When I worked for a VA hospital I was trained to suture PICC lines in place as part of our PICC line insertion procedure but could only do that within that particular facility.

[GilaRRT]

Daytonite said:

An RNs license does not permit them to perform suturing.

I disagree. Many BON's have a SOP that is intentionally vague. Some may say something like "procedures beyond basic RN educational preparation are acceptable provided they are educated and have facility approval." It all boils down to the BON allowing the said procedure, having adequate education, and facility approval with a policy and procedure in place.