ForeverQuestioning

Our policies come from our IV therapy department, of which all the nurses are certified through the Infusion Nurses Society. Our protocol calls for the push/pause AKA pulsatile technique for all central lines and PICC lines.

Tainted - I have never, ever had a physician tell me what size catheter or balloon to use unless the patient needed something like a Coude or simply wanted a straight cath. These are pretty standardlized. Another example of this nursing judgement would be an NG tube. I have never been told what size to use. Also, just in general to the OP question, some areas in the hospital (like ER and ICU) have policies where a foley can be placed if certain criteria are met and the patient doesn't have any exclusionary reasons why it shouldn't be placed - standing orders.