Is it true that unionized nurses in NYC don't do lab draws, catheters, EKGs, etc.?

FiremedicMike, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Feb 2

Ramona Abramov said:

I've heard that residents have to do those things. If so, why aren't nurses required to do these things?

I don't know that the union has anything to do with it, probably just hospital policies. There's a hospital next door to me (not in new york and not a union shop) where the nurses don't do lab draws, not sure about caths and EKGs..

**LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM** · Feb 2

Unless things have changed wildly in the last few years since I moved--no, that is not correct at all. I worked at an NYC hospital where the nurses were unionized and they did all of those tasks.

Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN · Feb 4

It varies based on hospital. I know one hospital where nurses cannot place NGT/OGT, even in ICU. Another hospital nurses draw timed labs, but STAT labs are done by the residents.

Ramona Abramov · Feb 6

FiremedicMike said:

I don't know that the union has anything to do with it, probably just hospital policies. There's a hospital next door to me (not in new york and not a union shop) where the nurses don't do lab draws, not sure about caths and EKGs..

why don't they do lab draws?

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Feb 6

Probably has more to do with facility being a teaching hospital (esp. associated with medical schools) versus public or private one. Medical students and interns need to learn phlebotomy, medical/nursing procedures along with art of diagnosis/diagnostic testing. Therefore veinepuncture, EKG's, bladder scans, foley catheter and NG tube insertion procedures may be assigned to them versus nurses per my 30yr experience in teaching hospitals.

FiremedicMike, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Feb 6

Ramona Abramov said:

why don't they do lab draws?

They apparently have phlebotomists that run around and do them all..

subee, MSN, CRNA · Feb 7

Ramona Abramov said:

why don't they do lab draws?

They don't do lab drawers because the interns need to hone their skills in a teaching hospitals. It's a technical skill. So many students starting out get hung up on the physical skills that are really someone else's scut work.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 9

At my hospital, we have a vascular access team that places most of our IVs and also phlebotomy so we don't have to draw labs (unless they have a central line/port). We are very spoiled and it can be an issue when time is of the essence. Our residents do not do anything like IVs or lab draws. Paracentesis, thoracentesis, joint aspirations are the things they do.

I wish I was better at drawing labs/PIV placement. It's a "use it or lose it" skill. And I've lost it,

PS teaching hospital