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the only nurses i know that actually intubate are the advanced practice nurse anesthetists. nurses who take acls training learn how to intubate, but i've never heard of them actually ever doing it on real patients since most nurse practice acts don't permit it.
as for n/g tubes. . .you bet. i'm guessing i've put hundreds in over my 30-year career because i've worked a lot of med/surg. i've also re-inserted trach tubes, inserted foley catheters in both males and females, inserted rectal tubes, suctioned both orally and nasotracheally, irrigated ears, eyes and noses as well as all kinds of open wounds, and i was trained to inserted p.i.c.c. (peripherally inserted central catheter) lines which is a specialized iv technique and suture them in place. i've assisted doctors as they were inserting endotracheal tubes, chest tubes, tracheostomies, bone marrow biopsies, liver needle biopsies, central line insertions, cutdowns, and female gyn exams. i'm sure there's been more, but these are what come to mind at the moment.
Bonny619, an NP, huh? I don't know if the state lets them do that or not. I'd have to look at the nursing law to see if there's anything specifically in the law about it. It may be that if she is working under the direct supervision of a doctor she can do it if the hospital allows it as well. I'm learning that NPs go through a credentialing process and granting of privileges in hospitals just like the doctors do. I know that the PA who works with my last surgeon is the one who stitched my incision up.
bonnie619, as best i can determine from looking at the california laws for nps, they can do procedures within facilities as long as the facility has deemed the procedure one that can be performed by a np and there is a written procedure that states how it is to be done. the facility must verify that the np has been trained in the procedure and is qualified to perform it. this would be done through the credentialing and proctoring activity of the medical staff office.
CNAtoRN2b06
15 Posts
i'm just curious. do RNs get to intubate, and do NG tubes and stuff like that?