Nonlicensed personnel and arterial lines

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Surgery.

Hello everyone. I was looking at job postings on a healthcare system website today and saw several positions listed for cardiovascular technicians. The duties included patient care, pulling arterial lines. The only qualifications for the job listed was that nursing students are preferred.

Now, I have been in nursing (LVN/LPN) for 28 years, having worked in a variety of settings including hospital/acute care and this just doesn't seem right to me. I feel and/or thought that only an RN or other similar credentialed person could pull arterial lines. Could someone please enlighten me/give your opinion on this? The idea of a nonlicensed person pulling arterial lines scares the h#%* out of me. :o

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Unfortunately, hospitals have created all sorts of positions and have managed to get away with it.

As for *my* patients, I would do it myself. I would not allow anyone but RN or above to be removing such a line, no way no how.

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Specializes in Cardiology PAC.

only a licensed, qualified nurse who works in critical care and has acls training should be pulling an art line.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency, Education, Informatics.

I guss I need to ask what scares you about it?

It is a techincal skill, one that can be taught very easily to anyone. The question I would ask is what kind of training program do they have to treach the techicians how to remove them. I've had techicians remove A-Lines in many of the paces I worked in ICU's had the techicians pulling the A-Lines over the years with no consequences.

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It's not the skill itself, but being able to handle the problems that may occur.

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Specializes in ER.

Why am I in nursing school again? I guess I don't really need a license to do a nurse's job...so freakin' frustrating!

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Specializes in ICU.

I really don't mind if a competent tech pulls a radial a-line for me. Most of the time, it's because I'm busy and I appreciate the extra help. I always make sure to know when it's done though, so I can assess for any bleeding and circulation, etc. Doesn't bother me! :)

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Why not? What could happen?

Bleeding? EMTs are trained to handle that.

Circulation issues.. no college degree required to check that either. EMTs can also check pulses.

MORE reasons RNs should have get their BSNs! Without a college degree there's not much of a diference between technicians and RNs.

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It's not the skill itself, but being able to handle the problems that may occur.

Yeah, but that's where I, as the nurse come in. I have no probs with Tech's pulling lines in my unit as long as i'm aware of it in case of probs that may arise.

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Our cardiovascular tech assists the doc in the cath lab, then works part time on the ICU floor. He's a CNA who is ACLS certified, is a monitor tech (ie, knows more about rhythm interpretation than I do), and he has been to numerous critcal care/cardiac care/cath lab related classes. In short, he is very well trained for what he does. He doesn't work in a vacuum--he works WITH the ICU nurses. He's not running around, randomly pulling lines whenever he feels like it. He's not responsible for assessing for complications post-pull--the ICU nurse still is responsible for the pt. Everyone trusts him because he is very well educated, very good at his job, and is a responsbile, caring individual. Frankly, if I ever float over to the ICU, I request to work with him if he is there--it is an added security blanket for me, as he has more experience in the area than *I* do.

I don't see a problem with this. I know the ICU nurses are glad to have him, and wish they could somehow clone him.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
Why not? What could happen?

Bleeding? EMTs are trained to handle that.

Circulation issues.. no college degree required to check that either. EMTs can also check pulses.

MORE reasons RNs should have get their BSNs! Without a college degree there's not much of a diference between technicians and RNs.

I'm curious......what additional training will a BSN give?

:yawn:

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I'm curious......what additional training will a BSN give?

:yawn:

Having one more class to finish my BSN I can honestly say... *nothing.*

It's not about the degree. It's about the license. If my patient had a problem after a very invasive line was removed I'd have trouble justifying in court why I let a non-licensed person handle the task.

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