Drawing Blood

[fat cat]

I had a situation where a particular patient had such bad veins that I as well as several other nurses were unable to obtain it. However several days later a nurse working with this patient who had E.R. experience drew the blood. When I questioned that nurse about it she said that it was no problem - that she just got it from the patient's foot. As a nurse I have drawn blood for many years but never considered using the foot. I asked the nurse if she got a doctor's order for that and she said no that one was not needed. I want to know if any other nurses out there draw blood from the foot as a last resort.

[cookie102]

tho i have never drawn blood from the foot, i have heard of nurses doing it,,,i thought that a specific MD order was needed for that,,,interested in what others have to say

[2shihtzus]

We have to have a doctors order for foot draws or foot IV access.

[PRESLA]

] NO, NO foot off limits s MD order.

Lisa

[wibobr]

As a former phlebotomist, I would NOT use a foot without a physician order. I would be more inclined to draw the patient from the radial artery(Granted a little trickier) but I can do that without an MD order.

[NursingAgainstdaOdds]

So...why is the foot off-limits?

I'm hypothesizing that it's due to it being so peripheral, which frequently has compromised circulation (especially in a person who doesn't have veins in the UEs, and therefore also has some other significant medical hx), and can have difficulty healing if it became infected?

[nursesherry]

I had a situation where a particular patient had such bad veins that I as well as several other nurses were unable to obtain it. However several days later a nurse working with this patient who had E.R. experience drew the blood. When I questioned that nurse about it she said that it was no problem - that she just got it from the patient's foot. As a nurse I have drawn blood for many years but never considered using the foot. I asked the nurse if she got a doctor's order for that and she said no that one was not needed. I want to know if any other nurses out there draw blood from the foot as a last resort.

I wouldn't want to draw from the foot on a diabetic pt.

[CyndieRN2007]

Unable to perform blood draw from foot without dr order.

[flightnurse2b, LPN]

I had a situation where a particular patient had such bad veins that I as well as several other nurses were unable to obtain it. However several days later a nurse working with this patient who had E.R. experience drew the blood. When I questioned that nurse about it she said that it was no problem - that she just got it from the patient's foot. As a nurse I have drawn blood for many years but never considered using the foot. I asked the nurse if she got a doctor's order for that and she said no that one was not needed. I want to know if any other nurses out there draw blood from the foot as a last resort.

you are always supposed to have an MD order to access a leg or foot vein, and some facilities to go to the axillary area... unless its an emergency. typically the ER is a little more leniant but definately on the floor you need an MD order.

[EmmaG, RN]

I've never worked anywhere that didn't require a physician's order before a leg/foot stick. I've done them before, but as much as I love needles, I always cringe when sticking a foot or leg. You know that's just gotta hurt.

[TazziRN, RN]

Never needed an order in the ER, but I've never seen any other unit that allowed it without an order. I've started many an IV in the foot and ankle too. If I was called to the floor to assist with a hard stick I always got an order unless I knew the doc would back me up with one later, but in the ER no order was needed.

[nurserus]

I had a situation where a particular patient had such bad veins that I as well as several other nurses were unable to obtain it. However several days later a nurse working with this patient who had E.R. experience drew the blood. When I questioned that nurse about it she said that it was no problem - that she just got it from the patient's foot. As a nurse I have drawn blood for many years but never considered using the foot. I asked the nurse if she got a doctor's order for that and she said no that one was not needed. I want to know if any other nurses out there draw blood from the foot as a last resort.

I have an trust me as an ER nurse it is the last resort. No, we did not need a Dr's order. However the nurses on the floor did. Pt's which were considered difficult sticks the floor nurses would call the supervisor, ER or ICU nurses to assist.