Central line

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2016

When you have questions it is best to refer to your hospital/facility policy. Nurses can insert certain central lines and physicians/PA/NP insert others.

AliNajaCat · Jun 15, 2016

A little search will bring you to the infusion nurses association standards of practice, where you will find the answer you seek.

http://www.ins1.org/files/public/11_30_11_standards_of_practice_2011_cover_toc.pdf

chare · Jun 15, 2016

A little search will bring you to the infusion nurses association standards of practice, where you will find the answer you seek.
http://www.ins1.org/files/public/11_30_11_standards_of_practice_2011_cover_toc.pdf

How is this helpful? Not only is this only the table of contents, the INS has no regulatory authority.

OP, as this not only varies from state to state, but from facility to facility within the state, your facility's policis and facilities are your best option.

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AliNajaCat · Jun 22, 2016

How is this helpful? Not only is this only the table of contents, the INS has no regulatory authority.
OP, as this not only varies from state to state, but from facility to facility within the state, your facility's policis and facilities are your best option.
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This is not a regulatory issue. However, if a case involving this ever got to court, you can bet that the INS standards would figure prominently. Also, whoever writes the P&P for the hospital would have been well-advised to consult them.

The OP could certainly look at this in the library (remember libraries?), ask the infusion specialist at the hospital to look at their copy, or even send away for it. Not everything has to be instantly accessible at the touch of a send button.

sroseo · Jun 23, 2016

I found this on another post and the answer is from Asystole RN, BSN: (

The question is not how many states allow but how many prohibit.

I am not aware of any states that prohibit PICC insertion by nurses, many have conditions but none prohibit that I am aware of. Central lines are trickier, many states say nothing on the topic. Some states like California place central line insertion within their "standardized procedure" portion of the scope while Arizona has the "If a nurse is trained and educated on it" portion of the scope. Some states like Arizona do in fact restrict the type of central lines that a nurse can put in but not all.

The Infusion Nurses Society or the Association of Vascular Access might have some compiled statistics for you.

Kuriin, BSN, RN · Jun 25, 2016

Many facilities utilize "PICC" nurses. So, to answer your question: Yes, nurses do insert central lines.

Mia415 · Jul 10, 2016

The only places I worked at or personally heard of from friends... I have never met a nurse that has inserted any central line. MDs do it due to the risk of complications. I agree that i have heard that some are speciality trained to insert them for example in trauma, but it's not something I've ever encountered. It's generally considered a doctors task like intubation.

Wuzzie · Jul 11, 2016

The only places I worked at or personally heard of from friends... I have never met a nurse that has inserted any central line. MDs do it due to the risk of complications. I agree that i have heard that some are speciality trained to insert them for example in trauma, but it's not something I've ever encountered. It's generally considered a doctors task like intubation.

Not to put too fine of a point on it but the fact that you have less than 2 years experience and work in a health department your nursing world is somewhat small. Nurses in certain roles can and do insert central lines, even arterial lines and they also intubate. None of theses procedures are exclusively considered "doctors tasks" any more than a stethoscope is considered a "doctor's stethoscope" (random referral to Joy Behar on The View for a bit of levity).

Mia415 · Jul 11, 2016

Okay ... I believe that is exactly what I said - that some are specially trained to do it, and it's generally something doctors do. You made it sound like I said that nurses never do it and it's exclusively a doctors task which is the opposite of what I said. Despite my "small" experience which my profile doesn't fully provide for you, I was just sharing my experiences that I saw in 3 years of nursing clinical at excellent hospitals as well as from what I hear from the many friends I have working in many inpatient specialties. But I don't really know any ICU nurses so maybe that's why I haven't encountered it. Maybe it's less common where I live in the Bay Area in CA... Especially in lower risk units.

Wuzzie · Jul 11, 2016

Okay ... I believe that is exactly what I said - that some are specially trained to do it, and it's generally something doctors do. You made it sound like I said that nurses never do it and it's exclusively a doctors task which is the opposite of what I said. Despite my "small" experience which my profile doesn't fully provide for you, I was just sharing my experiences that I saw in 3 years of nursing clinical at excellent hospitals as well as from what I hear from the many friends I have working in many inpatient specialties. But I don't really know any ICU nurses so maybe that's why I haven't encountered it. Maybe it's less common where I live in the Bay Area in CA... Especially in lower risk units.

In low-risk units it might, indeed, be rare and it is quite likely that in those types of units the physician is the person to does these types of procedures. Clinicals, even ones in excellent hospitals, only give you a very small window into the world of nursing. But the bigger picture I am speaking to is that those types of procedures are no longer considered "doctor's tasks". In most large institutions RTs are the ones who intubate. In critical access hospitals it is very likely to be an RN who does it. PICC lines are almost always inserted by nurses. Many flight nurses and medics are trained to do some of the things that might have once been considered in the physician only realm. At one time in my life I was one of those nurses. So when you stated that these things were "generally considered doctor's tasks" you were a bit off the mark. And I didn't call your experience "small" I said your window into the world of nursing is and as a newer nurse that's nothing to be ashamed of. The reality is that there are many more nurses working in an advanced role (I'm not speaking of NPs) than you might even be able to imagine. So to answer the OP's question. Yes nurses can and do insert central lines. It depends on the nurses role, facility policy and sometimes location.

nurse2be13 · Jul 11, 2016

In low-risk units it might, indeed, be rare and it is quite likely that in those types of units the physician is the person to does these types of procedures. Clinicals, even ones in excellent hospitals, only give you a very small window into the world of nursing. But the bigger picture I am speaking to is that those types of procedures are no longer considered "doctor's tasks". In most large institutions RTs are the ones who intubate. In critical access hospitals it is very likely to be an RN who does it. PICC lines are almost always inserted by nurses. Many flight nurses and medics are trained to do some of the things that might have once been considered in the physician only realm. At one time in my life I was one of those nurses. So when you stated that these things were "generally considered doctor's tasks" you were a bit off the mark. And I didn't call your experience "small" I said your window into the world of nursing is and as a newer nurse that's nothing to be ashamed of. The reality is that there are many more nurses working in an advanced role (I'm not speaking of NPs) than you might even be able to imagine. So to answer the OP's question. Yes nurses can and do insert central lines. It depends on the nurses role, facility policy and sometimes location.

A PICC line is NOT a central line.