Does this seem like safe nursing practice?

[crashgirl58]

I have a friend who is a nurse and has just started in Radiology Special Procedures. She told me that she will be doing conscious sedation, circulating, and documenting by herself during the procedure. She is unsure if this is safe and I told her that it most likely isn't, however, I wanted to get the opinion of nurses who work in this field since I know little about it (Stress Test RN). So is this safe nursing practice and common to do all three during the procedure?

[brownbook]

I have never worked Radiology Special Procedures.

I have done moderate sedation for GI, bronchoscopies, and a various other minor procedures.

There has always been a technician assisting the doctor with the scope, fluorscopy, passing instruments, etc. So it has always been me, a tech, and a MD.

"Ideally" a moderate sedation nurse is only responsible for giving the sedation and monitoring the patient. Of course you have to document drugs given, vital signs, etc........but you also end up at the very least accepting any specimens the tech hands to you, labeling them, noting the time, location, etc. I guess you would call that being a circulating nurse?

Is she certified for moderate sedation? She should be, and must have ACLS, access to ambu bags, airway adjuncts, etc.

[Radnurse54]

I work at a teaching hospital and sedation policy is governed by anesthesia....our policy is that the person giving sedation....has only one role and that is the monitoring of the patient who is sedated....it doesnt mean I cant reach over and drop something on a table, however, the technologist/technologists are responsible for the circulating and helping in the procedure NOT the nurse giving sedation.