Help with Med Surg skills

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I am in my 2nd month on a Med Surg floor, after years of LTC....I still have many questions on prioritizing and organization of care....which I hope to ask later.

My question today is that I DESPARATELY need the steps involved in Accessing and Flushing an Implanted Port Using a Huber Needle. I have seen part of the procedure done, which is not enough to do it my self, I have read about in a Nursing Clinical Skills text, which was inadequate in the proper sterile technique and the logical steps to perform in the procedure.

If you wise ones could give all the step by step processes, from drawing up heparin keeping the syringe sterile, to maintaining the field sterile, to accessing the port etc., I would be forever greatful.

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Where I worked, you could only access an implanted device after you had been taught and checked off by our IV therapy team. Check your hospital protocol and have someone experienced show you how it's done. I would not feel comfortable "walking you thru this" on paper; hands on learning is required as far as I am concerned. Good luck.

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I may be checked off on this skill, and if I am I would like to know the steps involved before I do it. I promise not to hold any one responsible for the information given.

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Excuse for pointing this out, but if you get checked off on this skill then it stands to reason you would know the steps involved in doing the access. Don't understand why you want asked the question. Explain?

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical.

I agree with the other posters regarding learning within your facility.

"2nd month on a Med Surg floor" ? Are you in orientation or did you get a quickie orientatation with a presumption that you are "experienced" and should know such things or what? Something seems to not be being said here that you use the word DESPARATELY.

In my opinion, you need to know YOUR FACILITY'S POLICY on CVADs... step by step. I've been a RN for 27 yrs and I'd never guess at something like this without saying I don't know how. I do that all the time on my job. It's expected that we seek out the proper way to do things. I'd never jeopordize my patient or license by trying to learn on the fly about procedures.

You should seek out a nurse educator or whatever contact person handles such things where you work. They should be in the room with you guiding you through it or doing it for you to watch.

Don't risk damaging a port and ending up with a nightmare on your hands and license.

Patient's with ports are very protective of them in my experience and have often been through a lot. They will know you don't know. Don't put yourself or them through that.

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OK, never mind

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I agree with "dmp". These patient have been through so much and this is one of the last sites for them to obtain the meds they need. DO Not mess with a port if you do not know what you are doing.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

here you go, two sites i found for you:

http://www.unchealthcare.org/site/nursing/nurspractice/procedures/procedures/procedurec32.pdf/

http://www.sjhlex.org/documents/nursing/implanted_ports_mini_082607.pdf

you might want to check the links in this thread on the nursing student forums for other procedures: https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/any-good-iv-therapy-nursing-procedure-web-sites-127657.html

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Thank You Daytonite

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