For the most part, in my LTC facility, our residents are on IV infusions just a few times a day. Why is it that when I go in for my shift, none of the lines have been recapped? Are they teaching this now days or is it just laziness? One nurse told me she didn't thing it is a must since it is an interlink (blue type of connector) and the tip isn't exposed? Um....how do you know it doesn't drop or drag on the floor?
At just about the start of every shift, I am changing lines on all these residents when it should be good for atleast 24hrs worth of infusions?
The answer is simple, too busy to find a cap, or too lazy.
If nothing else you should be flushing the line after you use it and still have the cap that was on the flush. Just don't set that down or touch the end of it and uncap the flush and cap the tubing in one motion. I personally throw caps in all of my patients' rooms at the beginning of my shift so I don't need to do this as it's still not ideal.
I always recap, if for some reason the cap isn't available (ie I drop the teeny things they use at our facility) then I alcohol swab another port on the line and connect it there so it's at least still sealed off
Why is it wrong to turn tubing in on itself if you use an alcohol wipe first? Is this different from wiping before attaching a flush or carpuject?
nope, if you wipe, you can re-hose. or whatever they call turning the tubing onto itself. but I think what happens, is most people walk into a room and see it capped onto itself, and think they didn't have a cap..they probably didn't have a wipe.
In the ED I agree, this is different. A lot shorter time. You don't have days and days of tubing hanging.
Always cap tubing. Always check dates on tubing, and never screw tubing on itself. Usually that port has been laying in the bed with patient. Always recap!
Specializes in Psych, ER, Resp/Med, LTC, Education.
ED or a longer term med floor contamination is contamination and the IV could stilll be a sourse of infection. I have worked both and was rushing in both settings! like has been suggested........just make a habit of having alcohol swabs and red caps in your pocket for the shift..... not hard to do. One place I worked attached two cups to the IV pole...one cup with caps and one with swabs and you just refill when low......lasts a while that way.
Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, Oncology, Rehab, LTAC.
I carry so much stuff in my pockets already that I don't always have a sterile cap. However, I always carry an ample supply of alcohol wipes and have been known to wipe off the port and plug the end in. I once heard that the insurance company is charged $96 (or something insane like that) for every set of tubing used. It makes me sick to see the tubing dated for today, but dangling in the air with no cap.
We turn the tubing onto itself all the time, being sure to wipe it with alcohol first. Everyone I know of carries a big stack of alcohol wipes in their pocket.
Sometimes we will connect the end of the tubing to a sterile blunt, i.e. piggybacks.
I have not yet worked at a hospital that supplied us with those red caps though!
I cap. I have been known, on occasion, to turn the tubing back on itself and plug it into the port. I always, ALWAYS wipe the port with an alcohol wipe first, though. Sometimes I use the cap from the flush, if I don't have a cap on me, or in a pinch, you can, though it is not ideal, open an alcohol wipe and place the end of the tubing into the sterile wrapper, until a cap can be located.
Specializes in Psych, ER, Resp/Med, LTC, Education.
I think it's the question, when you enter a room and see this turned on itself thing that you don't KNOW if someone cleaned or not.......that sticks hving no red caps. What did they want you to use? ....I like to draw a 10cc flush and red cap it at the same time I get the bag of med and use the first half before I run the med and keep the flush with me and then when its done I have the other half of the flush for after and a red cap. Works well. Some places have prefilled saline seringes and you can just put a red cap on them.....the other thing I hate is when I walk into a room to see a NEEDLE (yes capped, but STILL a needle!) attached to the end of the tubing......very unsafe!!!!
blondy2061h, MSN, RN
1 Article; 4,094 Posts
If nothing else you should be flushing the line after you use it and still have the cap that was on the flush. Just don't set that down or touch the end of it and uncap the flush and cap the tubing in one motion. I personally throw caps in all of my patients' rooms at the beginning of my shift so I don't need to do this as it's still not ideal.