Lab draws

[Nepenthe Sea]

I am a fairly new pediatric nurse. I was just curious as to the lab draws in your various hospitals. In mine, we draw all the labs ourselves. However, if it is our busy season and we have a lot to draw, we sometimes will have lab come and draw on our big kids (adolescents and teens) so that we can focus on the little ones, especially since they can be so hard to draw from at times. What is your policy?

[LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN]

We do all our own labs, never have seen a phlebotomist on the floor.

Our labs unless timed, are done on NOC shift, depending on how many we usually start around 4am, but have done labs at 1-2am.

With the littles it is a team effort

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

Our PICU draws all our own labs. Our peds floor only draws from central lines and the lab comes to draw the venipunctures.

[pghnurse07]

We have an IV team we call for difficult sticks and IV insertions. Otherwise we draw our own.

[LaRoseRN]

We draw labs on the kiddos w/ CVC or PICC lines. Phlebotomists usually draw on kids w/ IVs. We also have an IV team for difficult pokes.