Do you draw up blood on your own?

[Blackheartednurse]

I'm curious to hear how many nurses out here are obligated to draw up labs on their own and do glucose checks on their own?

[husker_rn, RN]

Med-surg in a small hospital. I work nights/weekends and we do our own draws after hours and on weekends. If there's a PICC or Central line, of course we do that draw any time.

[cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP]

I used to work as a CNA on an Adult Med/Surg floor and CNAs did the blood sugar checks and phlebotomy during the off hours that phlebotomy was not on the floor (from 3 PM - 4 AM) but phlebotomy came in at 5 AM to do all the routine draws. If they needed to draw from a PICC line or it was a really tough draw then the RN does it. I work as a tech. in the Peds. ER now and 9 out of 10 kids gets an IV put in and the RN draws the labs from the IV. If for some reason they don't get an IV then the nurse will probably draw the blood because they know the labs ordered before we do but if the RN is busy or I see the labs ordered right away then I will just ask the RN if they want me to draw it for them (some do and some don't.) The techs. also do the blood sugars for the patients in the ER if they are ordered. I used to be a phlebotomist before I was a CNA so I always like the chance to draw blood and keep my skills up.

!Chris

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Most of our patients have central lines, so we do all our own lines. On the off chance that they don't have a line, I'll usually try once then page phlebotomy.

[systoly]

LTC: I'm not obligated to draw any labs and the lab sends phlebs for the routine draws. If I get a stat lab order, I can call the lab to send a phleb, however, it's much quicker and cheaper to call for a courrier and draw the lab myself. Sometimes I do draw routine labs when there are a lot or the phleb is running behind.

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

Yes, though we have techs that can start lines and draw labs, which helps tons when it's busy. Plus, they're good at it. They're used to starting large bores in the backs of ambulances on people with no veins, so if I can't get blood or the person looks like a really tough stick, I usually ask a tech to try.

[NeoNurseTX, RN]

We do all lab draws and art sticks - NICU

We also do accuchecks and run our own gasses. I know a lot of NICUs have the RTs do the gasses.

[Bonnie Nurse]

Work in an ICU and rarely (thank goodness) have to draw blood from anywhere except a central line. I'm not sure I'd be that good at it. But frankly, I get tired of those hourly BG checks when running insulin drips.