Can Nursing student working in a Doctors office draw blood?

[kgl22]

I am a third year BSN nursing student with 2 years clinical experience and I give meds and injections in clinical. I just got a job in a internal medicine doctors office. I have learned the technique of taking blood but have never done it (apparently you dont learn that in nursing school)

The doctor is willing to teach me, but I was wondering if there is any liability issue there.

I was going to post this on the students forum but I wasn't sure if id get a good answer.

[nursel56]

The question referred to drawing blood as an employee and not a nursing student on a rotation. Obviously you can't in CA, as one poster noted, but you should be golden anywhere else.

Again, this information is incorrect. You don't need a certification to draw blood in California in a doctor's office. Starting an IV is a different category. There's a separate certification for IV therapy.

Edit to clarify this: any unlicensed person (ie a nursing student) working under the direct supervision of a physician or licensed nurse in a doctor's office can be called a medical assistant.

A medical assistant can draw blood after they have been trained by the physician or supervising nurse who employs them. The link below is a great guideline with FAQs, but as I said any extra education a person has may impact their potential liability, so a 3rd year nursing student might be in a different position than someone just hired from the street.

Welcome to the Medical Board of California - Medical Assistants - Frequently Asked Questions

[sunnycalifRN]

When I was an RRT, the hospital I worked at decided to save money by firing all the phlebotomists and having the RRT's do both respiratory therapy and phlebotomy. We were sent to an 8 hr training class and we received some sort of certificate, but definitely, not a license. This was in California.

But, bottom line, no license required to draw blood, just a training certificate.

[chorkle]

How can it be legal anywhere for someone who is not a nurse to put in IVs-- phlebotomy is taking out blood but IVs are putting something in--and by in I mean you have to at least put in NS to assure you have a patient line. Just curious how that is legal.

In a TX hospital E.D. where I worked, all E.D. Techs (paramedic background required) routinely started IVs, & drew blood. Blood was also drawn, where needed, by butterfly needle--not via an IV.

However, Techs were not allowed to hang any IV fluid, not even NS; nor to attach IV line to catheter. NS was considered, for this purpose, to be a medication; and Techs were not allowed to touch any medication of any kind.

[Ellekat]

It will vary by state. In Kansas you would be considered to be working under the physician's license as long as your are working in his/her office/clinic. Just draw a clear line between your job as a phlebotomist/patient tech (or whatever you are called in your work arena) and your position as a nursing student. It sounds like a great opportunity to learn!

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

Again, this information is incorrect. You don't need a certification to draw blood in California in a doctor's office. Starting an IV is a different category. There's a separate certification for IV therapy.

Edit to clarify this: any unlicensed person (ie a nursing student) working under the direct supervision of a physician or licensed nurse in a doctor's office can be called a medical assistant.

A medical assistant can draw blood after they have been trained by the physician or supervising nurse who employs them. The link below is a great guideline with FAQs, but as I said any extra education a person has may impact their potential liability, so a 3rd year nursing student might be in a different position than someone just hired from the street.

Welcome to the Medical Board of California - Medical Assistants - Frequently Asked Questions

That's fine. I'm not in Cali, and the odds are against the OP being there too. Someone else mentioned something about having to have it there. You don't here!

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

How can it be legal anywhere for someone who is not a nurse to put in IVs-- phlebotomy is taking out blood but IVs are putting something in--and by in I mean you have to at least put in NS to assure you have a patient line. Just curious how that is legal.

What's so glorious about nursing that would restrict that singular occupation from poking a hole in a vein and draining something out or squirting something in?

[highlandlass1592, BSN, RN]

You are not aloud to draw blood even though your trained to do it. If something goes wrong with the patient and your not certified you will not be able to become a nurse or anything.

In many states, you DO NOT need to be certified to draw blood. The OP should check with the state board of nursing to find out specifically the laws in their state.

[BrnEyedGirl, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

I'm in Missouri,..I worked as a medical assistant while in nursing school. I worked under the physicians license and legally could do anything the doc felt I was trained to do, and the doc trained me. I had no formal training when I started the job before starting nursing school. I drew blood, gave injections, took xrays, placed sutures in simple lacs, called in scripts etc. Looking back on it, I probably did a lot of things I really wasn't qualified to do, however there was ALWAYS a doc there and it was completely legal in my state.

[nursel56]

That's fine. I'm not in Cali, and the odds are against the OP being there too. Someone else mentioned something about having to have it there. You don't here!

I was responding to Bandaide, who specifically mentioned California. You seconded her incorrect facts with "obviously you can't in California". Why would you comment one way or the other if you aren't here, especially when you agreed with the person who was providing the incorrect information?

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

I was responding to Bandaide, who specifically mentioned California. You seconded her incorrect facts with "obviously you can't in California". Why would you comment one way or the other if you aren't here, especially when you agreed with the person who was providing the incorrect information?

I didn't agree. I just went with it. It's no skin off my nose either way.

[nursel56]

I didn't agree. I just went with it. It's no skin off my nose either way.

Not sure what the distinction is there, but whatever. :)

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

Not sure what the distinction is there, but whatever. :)

Well, there are 49 other states to worry about. Who cares what goes on in California anyway? The whole state has too many problems to identify just one, lol.