Can a RN with no certification in anesthesia administer tumescent anesthesia?

Was wondering if a RN with no certification in anesthesia, can administer tumescent anesthesia for lipo if trained by the physician. I am unsure if this is within the scope of practice of a RN in NJ and unable to find any info on the BON website. Any info is appreciated:)

Sorry liponurse - the translation for your post is "lazy surgeon, more interested in money than patient safety". It doesn't matter how rare complications are in your hands. It only takes one and your career is gone. All that's being done here is maximizing the number of patients and $$$ for the surgeon. I'm sure you probably do a fine job - but why on earth would you take that risk?

Really? ICU nurses have way more to go wrong than this...don't know if you've ever seen this, but it's a very blunt trochar at zero to 10 degrees ( or thereabouts) to the abdominal fascia. Anyone is one "mistake" from trouble...what exactly is the point? Has the BON checked with JWK about this? They're the governing body here and odds are if there is a problem, it lies with them. I'm betting there isn't.

Are you aware of something the rest of us are not?

Yes, actually, he is. He is an AA. He is not a CRNA. He has NEVER done this kind of anesthesia in an office setting, because legally, he can't. Don't worry about him.

Specializes in ICU, Postpartum, Onc, PACU.
CRNAs and Anesthesiologists do not administer tumescent anesthesia generally. It essentially is local anesthesia but in a diluted volumes and usually over a wise ares of tissue. The large volume and potential for vascular injection makes local anesthesia toxicity a concern. Of equal concern is perforation of structures with the bowel being the most common. WHY an RN would want to administer it i don't know, but this is probably a question the board of nursing has not specifically considered, since it likely has never been asked (not many surgeons would want a third party to do this for them), and you may have to contact them for a formal opinion.

Exactly. When I worked at a facial plastic surgeon's office I'd asked him about that because I (at one point) was thinking about going for my CRNA-and yes, the feeling passed haha. He'd said he wasn't aware of a nurse being able to do that, partially because, since he was the one doing the surgeries/lipo, he wanted to be in control of where he wanted the tumescent for the coming procedure.

I mixed it for him numerous times, but he always did the actual injecting.

I'm honestly curious, though (because I'm NOT a CRNA), why would a nurse want to do that? Is there some situation where that would come in handy as a skill set? What made you ask this?

Thanks!

xo

but there are many surgeons out there that do not have the patience to inject tumescent local anesthetic,

Thanks for making my point. I've done anesthesia for liposuction cases since the procedure was developed more than 3 decades ago. Most go well - but I've also seen the overly aggressive high-volume lipo with tumescent anesthesia where things have not gone well.

I know this is a very old thread, but did you ever confirm if if a RN with no certification in anesthesia, can administer tumescent anesthesia for lipo?  I am trying to determine this as well in NY and trying to find resources.  Many thanks!

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