Art lines

[sharann, BSN, RN]

I started a great job in the place Iv'e always wanted to be, the Recovery Room. I am happy for the first time in a year and a half of nursing. However, as a tele/med-surg nurse I haven't had much experience at all with arterial lines. My co-workers are teriffic and have been teaching me slowly. They are really nice about it too. They all admitted to me that they didn't know anything about them until they arrived in recovery as well. My question is, do any of you have an idea of a place on the internet that I can learn about these things (I am taking the classes in a few months, just want a head start) ?

I tried AORN and ASPAN, but maybe I'm looking in the wrong places?

Thanks.

Shar

[NickiP]

Don't know about info re: art lines on internet, but it seems like most hospitals have an education dept. that should have info on it . I know ours does and we have to do annual competencies on a lines depending on your area of expertise. Congrats and good luck. Nicki

[sharann, BSN, RN]

Thanks Carole,

Those stopcocks are murder. I will take your advice and try to get my hands on some tubing to practice with. (Is it off to the pt on to the IV or on to the IV....sheesh).

[Zee_RN, BSN, RN]

Go see Brandy's post...."Can anyone give me some pointers?" She's asking about arterial blood gas sticks there and several people have given her some good advice.

I don't do the sticks myself, respiratory therapy does them in ICU.

[hoolahan, ASN, RN]

Try e-mailing MarkHammerschmit, or pm'ing him I should say. He has a FANTASTIC web site with FAQ on dozens of critical care issues. Also, cyber nurse, sorry, don't have the link, is a great site, and there is a link to Vee Tach's site. Also Nurse Beat has some great hemodynamic info. Just when you think you know everything about art lines, you find out something else cool. I have picked up lots of tips over the years like how to tell on the waveform if pt is fluid overloaded or dry, how to pick up tamponade, and ballon pump waveforms too. When I was first new to this stuff, I liked critical care nurse magazine, and I joined AACN, amer assoc for crit care nurses. Try their site for more info http://www.aacn.org there are lots of great links there as well. Try a good critical care book, or one on hemodynamics.