what nurses do if a patient wants blood transfusions

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As a nurse, do you have to assist the doctor during a blood trasfusion.?

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Yes, they may also be a fan of "House," where the MDs push meds, hang IVs, draw labs, run the labs, run the equipment during all tests, transport patients, perform surgeries, then take tissues/cultures/whatever from surgery, then run the path labs themselves.....

I think we need to be cognizant that AN has members from all over the world that come here seeking information.

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I'm wondering if he/she is against blood transfusions and doesn't want to participate in giving them?

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I have never, never had a MD hang blood. Personally, I'm not sure they would know how. I have had a MD during a code assist with pressurizing the blood bag, but never hang the blood. I agree with the posts above, the only place a MD might even help would be in the OR and usually the anesthesiologist does this. I have noticed over the years the parameters for blood administration have lowered, we use to give blood for anyone who had a low Hgb of 10.0 and a Hct of 24-26. It seems now the Hgb has to be 8.0 or below which really puts the pt at risk of heartattack. Is this because of the cost or because of the lack of blood supply available?? It is not an insurance thing with the individual patients because I have seen it in all types of reimbursements. It is like magic when a pt who has had low blood count finally gets the blood they need. Hey, who would have thought??? I had one elderly patient who had a nephrostomy tube that was bleeding frank red blood, the attending MD did not want to send her out until her Hgb got below 8.0, meanwhile, she is getting lethargic, her B/P and Pulse are getting into dangerous parameters and guess what??? She did not want to do her PT?? So, I called the MD and asked about just tranferring her for a blood transfusion---we do not do these when sub-acute is in a LTC facility. Finally after two days of bleeding she was able to get into the outpatient services for a transfusion, hey it was like a new woman when she came back. What a pity to put this pt at risk just because of certain parameters. Anyone else with such a horror story??

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Specializes in Emergency.
I think we need to be cognizant that AN has members from all over the world that come here seeking information.

OP from staten island, ny. Which to folks from the city (manhattan) is considered to be a foreign country.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
It seems now the Hgb has to be 8.0 or below which really puts the pt at risk of heartattack. Is this because of the cost or because of the lack of blood supply available?? It is not an insurance thing with the individual patients because I have seen it in all types of reimbursements.

It's because with repeated blood transfusions, the risk of transfusion reactions increases.

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Specializes in Med Surg.
I think we need to be cognizant that AN has members from all over the world that come here seeking information.

Who said I wasn't? I agreed with the sentiment (that's where I said, "Yes"). Then I went on to make a "House" joke, which is also shown all over the world.

I think we need to be cognizant of "House" at all times.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
OP from staten island, ny. Which to folks from the city (manhattan) is considered to be a foreign country.

:laugh:

However, they can still be from

a foreign country, though.

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Yeah where are these doctors who will do my transfusions for me? I work Onc...I do a lot:)

They are hanging around on the set of House. You know, the same place where the docs are walking the patient to the restroom when he asks, hanging IV piggybacks, giving meds, etc., in between doing brain surgery, placing cardiac stents, and delivering babies. ;)

ETA: Just realized someone else beat me to that. :x3:

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If you asking if you are required to give blood, and you morally object to it, that is another question altogether. There are many threads here about that.... mostly on religious objections.

Generally yes, we are required to give blood transfusions as ordered, with the patient's consent. Those with moral objections need to have that settled with their employer, if they cannot/will not participate, their coworkers will have to step in; which can cause hard feelings. If their employer insists, it is either resign or be fired, if accommodated, you need to cover other duties for your coworkers while they do yours.

Since the OP uses the words "have to," I also wondered if this was the reasoning behind it.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
OP from staten island, ny. Which to folks from the city (manhattan) is considered to be a foreign country.

Does that mean they were born here? I think that we need to be cognizant that people are from all levels of nursing and those who may not have even started their journey. Remember...

Our first priority is to the members that have come here because of the flame-free atmosphere we provide.

Our call is to be supportive, not divisive

OP we are wanting to help you!

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
I have never, never had a MD hang blood. Personally, I'm not sure they would know how.

Come visit us in the OR! While the nurse checks the unit of blood or other blood products with the anesthesiologist, the anesthesiologist is the one responsible for initiating the infusion.

OP, unless you are working in the OR like I described above, you will never be assisting an MD in starting a blood transfusion because hanging blood is a nursing action, not a medical action. The only responsibility of the MD is placing the order. If you object to hanging blood, then it would be most logical for you to find a job in a specialty where that will not be a nursing responsibility. Although some people have been able to work out that a coworker will take care of their blood transfusions in exchange for another task, that may not work in all areas/facilities/specialties.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I suspect that English may not be the OP's first language, hence the confusion about this post. Hopefully she will come back to this thread and elaborate a little on what she was looking for.
Perhaps the OP is not even in the US; hence, (s)he might be in another country where nursing care is rendered very differently that what we're accustomed.
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