Radnurse?

Trying to get a feel for the norm of the nurse role in other angio suites. Are you (RN) ever expected to scrub in for procedures. Do you set up the procedural trays? Do nurses drive the table? Is it a violation of any radiation regulatory rules for the RN to drive the table? During "on-call" cases, who makes up the team? If Conscious/moderate sedation is required is the team more than 1 nurse, 1 rad. tech and the radiologist. Do the MD and scrub tech drive the table themselves? During the procedure, does the sedating RN have any other responsibilities other than managing and monitoring her patient? How much call time do you take in a month? What is your on-call pay? Who does PICC lines in your facility? Are they done after hours? Thanks for any info you can provide!

wtbcrna and DutchgirlRN, Thank you very much for the link and info. This is great ammunition supporting my concerns about the current practice in my dept. Rad RNs-Does anyone know if nurses driving the fluoro table is violating any Rad. regulations.

I am a Rad nurse of 2 years. Total 30 yrs as RN almost all in ED Level 1 trauma center. I have done conscious/moderate sedation in ED for adults and children and in Ambulatory Surgery. I was trained that the sedating nurse is to have one duty-sedate and constant monitoring of pt. I am able to do this during the day in Radiology (angio). Sedation cases are done with a Radiologist, a scubbed in tech and a circulating tech/table driver and an RN. The problem is on-call, the second tech is not there. The doctor and scrub tech do not drive, they expect the sedation nurse to drive the table and run for supplies, etc. In the middle of the night, these pt's are SICK often bleeding, needing transfused, unstable VS. I am sedating and I am expected to stay at the end of the table to drive. Is this acceptable practice in other angio suites? I have talked to several people outside this hospital working in cath labs and angio suites. They tell me the RN is expected to monitor her pt without other duties and also that is it not "legal" for an RN to be driving the table. They say that their doctor and tech are very capable of driving the table themselves during the procedure. I don't fluoro, I do mag up and down, cone in, file pictures, etc. Is this "legal". I just want to know what accepted practice is. I feel I am putting my pt's at risk, not being able to stay focused on their status and not being at the head of the bed to observe them continuously. Appreciate any input.