Just wanting a little feedback on how you guys feel about the removal of chest tubes on a post-CABG/Valve pt via an RN. I previously worked @ a hospital were on the Tele/Stepdown Unit I and the other RN's removed chest tubes all the time. The requirements were that you had to have successfully completed ACLS, be an RN, completed a basic critical care course, and be witnessed by a trained person in chest tube removal 3X's prior to being able to remove them yourself. I recently reviewed on the states BON website that it is contraindicated for RN's to remove chest tubes. The hospital that I worked for was the only REGIONAL medical facility in the state and us nurses regularly removed chest tubes as we were given both verbal and written orders by the cardiac surgeons to do so. I guess what I would like is a little feedback on this topic b/c looking back if anything would have went wrong I could have been in some serious trouble in a court of law. I would have been found guilty of practicing a skill outside of a nurses scope of practice. How can a large REGIONAL medical facility allow this to happen when it is clearly stated in the BON?
