Nursing Aide to begin in Cardiac

[MrsCD]

Hello All,

I went on an interview last week and I am 99% sure I got the position. I just completed my 1st year in nursing school and this is will be my first time as working as a nurses aide. Is this a good unit to start off with? I want to learn everything possible and become completey comfortable with patient care before I become a RN. I am so nervous but very excited to begin this new career.

[AishaMousgoy]

I agree with you! I was EXTREMELY SURPRISED to learn that sheath pulls were in my job description. I'm not sure "extremely surprised" does the feeling justice, but I can't think of another word at the moment. Astounded?

I was talking to one of the RNs during a sheath pull on Friday, and asked if he thought it was kind of bizarre that the techs pull sheaths. I felt better when he said yes. He said at his old job, only PAs were allowed to do it.

[AishaMousgoy]

I agree with you!

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

Have you read the institutional policy which permits you to do that? If I were you, there's no way in hell I'd do that, especially if YOU think it's crazy. When something happens, and you get asked why you did it, you'd better have documentation to back you up.

[Tippy-ta-ta]

there are alot of responsibility in sheasth pulls. When I worked at the hosp, our male CNA's (they were called orderlies there) were allowed to pull sheaths, but the females weren't. i guess has to do with the amt of pressure that it takes for the bleeding. I know some of them guys would hold pressure for 30min or more.

I would be EXTREMLEY careful when pulling sheaths, they do bleed alot and if you are not rigth on top of it they can bleed out really fast. With it being an artery, it can get pretty nasty.

[AishaMousgoy]

I'm not sure about institutional policy, but I will ask about it. When i was being interviewed for the job, the nurse manager told me sheath pulls were a part of the job, and I said ok. It's a given that PCTs pull the sheaths on our floor, as well as on the telemetry floors. It does involve a lot of pressure, so I can see why males have an advantage the majority of the time. I usually lose feeling in my fingers after ten minutes have gone by.