Need your professional opinions!

[ceecel.dee]

One of our GP's has started ordering Ketamine for minor procedures on children in the ER (laceration suturing), and this seems to me to be a workplace safety issue (floor nurses not up to speed on anesthesia meds and proper monitoring, side effects, half-life, etc., not to mention the staffing issue that we have with the extended monitoring needed) putting their licenses at risk, as well as the patient safety risk due to the above nursing limitations.

This just seems too risky...am I being too much of a worrier? (Our CRNA HATES this, and will not even speak to us about it.)

[no-pain]

We also need to remember that each individual medical center has policy and procedures in which they follow. Some may not have the autonomy others do and visa-versa.

[New CCU RN]

Originally posted by gwenith

AHHHH..... Here in Australia we don't HAVE CRNA's SRNA's ETC. We just go for it....... It is considered part base nursing knowledge to be able to care for a patient under light sedation.

Can't see the hu hu myself.

We aren't saying RN's can't care for patients under light sedation... we are discussing RN's administering and caring for patients under anesthestics which were administered to be concious or light sedation but can easily become deep sedation and a loss of an airway.