Our hospital recently changed our policy on who can check blood at the bedside to "two healthcare individuals, one of whom must be an RN". They have interpreted this to mean an RN, LPN/LVN, MD or a CNA. They say they have research to support this decision though I have not seen it yet. When I questioned this policy I was told that "they are just numbers" and "it's just another pair of eyes" I tried to explain as cogently as I could my severe reservations about having unlicensed people verifying blood, to no avail. I approached this from a safety issue and also said that the difference between professional nursing and being a CNA is that we have rationale for our actions. The numbers on the blood bag and band are more than numbers; they represent the potential lethality of the product and therefore the rationale for two people to check. It only takes 15 cc of the wrong blood to kill a patient. I also expressed concern that we as registered nurses are charged with the duty to directly supervise CNA's and questioned how we could then ask them to check what we are reading is accurate. They believe this will free up the nurse. I told them I do not need my nursing assistants to do my job; I need them to do theirs, to pass the water and assist patients to the bathroom etc. If they did that, we would have time to check blood. And if truth be told, I have never heard a nurse complain about having to check blood but we all complain about getting called to a room because the pt. needs water. Anyway, sorry for the long post, but I am really interested in what others have to say about this new practice.