CT's

[RNLex]

Struggling with off shifts and weekends and CT's. Techs supposedly can not hook tubing from power injector to IV site. Expected RN from ED to do which you know is going over like a lead balloon. What is everyone else doing. We are being told they have to hook tubing, monitor for infilitation during test phase (couple of seconds) and then can leave.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

The CT techs are trained to do it themselves. The only time an RN has to accompany the patient is if the patient is in unstable condition.

[RNLex]

are you in NY State - apparently in NY they are not allowed to

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

are you in NY State - apparently in NY they are not allowed to

No Florida.

They always insist on using a 20 g or high needle in the a/c. for the scans that use the fast bolus contrast (like CT thorax). With the proper IV, the give and monitor the constrast themselves. Here they are well educated and make as much as nurses, they are perfectly capable of doing this in my opinion.

[nursey_chick]

This may or may not have any relevance, but i thought it would be interesting. As an ED RN from Sydney Australia, our CT radiographers do connect patient's to IV constrast. Their only legal requirement is that an MD is present to inject the contrast. After hours when a Nurse is not present to observe th patient, an ED nurse will accompany the patient. Hope this was of some help.

[neneRN, BSN, RN]

I'm in FL; our CT techs do it all- the only time I go back to CT is with the pts who are very unstable.

[ckh23, BSN, RN]

On the night shift at my hospital we have to go to watch the injection. During the day there is a radiology nurse that does this, but at night it is just us. I don't think it has anything to do with the "qualifications" of the CT tech. A nurse needs to be present because someone needs to assess if the patient is having a reaction to the dye or not. What would happen if the nurse left and the patient went into anaphalaxis? What is a CT tech supposed to do?

[JessicRN]

In my facility the Techs do it themselves. I have seen MD's push it for Chest CT's though. Never Nurses

[vaughanmk]

Whenever I have a pt that needs a CT. I have to go over with the pt. Granted it is a pediatric facility. An RN has to be present for the iv contrast.I have done it all myself and I have also watched the CT tech do it all. Either way it gets done. As long as an RN is present.

[RoxanRN]

No RN required here either. Our CT techs are also very qualified and able. As far as possible anaphalaxis goes, we always ask if the patient if they have ever had problems when eating shellfish as well as any IV contrast - even if they have previously denied an allergy. While this may not always indicate allergy/non-allergy, if there is ever a question of a reaction, alternate testing is used (if available).

[Aneroo, LPN]

No RN required here either. Our CT techs are also very qualified and able. As far as possible anaphalaxis goes, we always ask if the patient if they have ever had problems when eating shellfish as well as any IV contrast - even if they have previously denied an allergy. While this may not always indicate allergy/non-allergy, if there is ever a question of a reaction, alternate testing is used (if available).

I agree.

We also are right down the hall from CT. If a code happens in CT, we respond (code team does also, but we are closer and will get there first).