Question about working in a hospital

Zalan · Mar 9, 2009

I`m not a CNA, but a PCA. I`ve never known of a law that says a CNA can`t take Blood Sugar. Its not hard, & just takes a little practice. The Hospital should offer you trainning in it. Probable not much. In 3 months I`ve gone from sticking patients 4 times to basically only sticking them once.

Few tips with blood sugars:

Always look for a meaty fingerer tip. Not the ones that look deflated.

If possible aim for the side not the tip. Alot of people stick the tip so scar tissue builds

Always have the figures pointed down. Let gravity help with the work.

Practice your aiming. When you get the globe or bubble of blood. Try to match it up pink strip zone.

If you don`t see any meaty fingers on one hand, ask to see the other hand.

Katie89 · Mar 10, 2009

I'm a CNA and I can take blood sugars, but I think it just varies from state to state, hospital to hospital, etc. I can do a lot of things in "real life" that we didn't learn in class- putting in/taking out foleys, taking out IVs, emptying drains, blood sugars/infant screens/draws, etc. I learned a lot in class but most of the learning seemed to come with work experience for me.

But don't worry, if a hospital expects you to do something that you're not familiar with, they will train you first. If you don't feel comfortable, ask for more training from the hospital. They won't expect you to do something you're not comfortable with.

And good tips on blood sugars, Zalan!

cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP · Mar 10, 2009

CNAs are allowed to do blood sugar checks. They can also do EKGs and draw blood with training. You will see CNAs in hospitals do most of those things, and a few things that they aren't allowed to do such as the things Katie mentioned. EKGs, venipuncture (drawing blood) and blood sugar checks are not out of the scope of practice for a CNA but inserting/removing foleys and removing IVs are definitely not in the scope of practice for a CNA and anyone who does them could face losing their CNA license and if complications arose in the patient from what the CNA did illegally then they could be sued for malpractice.

!Chris :specs:

TampaTech · Mar 10, 2009

I am allowed to insert/dv foleys..and IV sites....you need to habe so many hours of training to do this....hospitals will teach you to do all of this....its not like you need an RN after your name to know what steirle procedure is.

elite · Mar 11, 2009

Depends on your state and facility. Some CNAs can insert/remove straight catheters (not an indwelling foley) and remove IV med locks. Though some state and facility rules vary. Just because the state OKs it - the facility may not. You will come up against things you were not taught in CNA class. It may be within your scope to do some things that you were not taught as long as you get proper training. It would be best to check with your state's board of nursing/dept of health (or whom ever governs over your CNA license) to see what your scope of practice is in that state.

cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP · Mar 11, 2009

I am allowed to insert/dv foleys..and IV sites....you need to habe so many hours of training to do this....hospitals will teach you to do all of this....its not like you need an RN after your name to know what steirle procedure is.

Please don't misunderstand me when I say this but the tasks that you are say you do (the foleys and IV sites) should be done by an RN or LPN, at least according to the Nurse Practice Act in the state of Florida (which your profile says your from). I have seen quite a few RNs insert foleys with procedure that you could barely call clean let alone sterile and I am sure that you and many other CNAs are well aware and properly implement sterile technique if your doing these tasks but according to your state's Nurse Practice Act the tasks that your doing shouldn't be done by a CNA, even with an RN/LPNs direct supervision. I'm a CNA too and I know I'm certainly not perfect all, I'm just saying that if someone does these tasks that are technically out of their scope of practice and a patient is harmed (by nosocomial infection or otherwise) they could sue the practitioner for malpractice.

!Chris :specs:

Ninja Nurse, ASN · Mar 11, 2009

This is off op topic, but I'm in Florida and we were just taught in school (Orlando Tech), how to insert/remove foleys both indwelling and straight. I, personally, think this shouldn't be a skill delegated to CNA's. But the trick is, a CNA can ONLY do these skills in a hospital, not in a LTC facility or ALF. Tomorrow we are learning d/c iv's. We also get to practice these skills during a one week clinical at a local hospital.

Oh and from what I hear, these tasks were added to a CNA's scope fairly recently within the past 10 yrs or so.

Zalan · Mar 11, 2009

Foileys all depend on state laws to be honest. In Indiana, & Kentucky a CNA can not insert a foiley weither its a straight cath or anchored. Were as a PCA in Indiana I can insert a Cath. In Kentucky as a PCA I could not do any Cathing. Only a nurse can.

elite · Mar 14, 2009

Also, you can work as a PCA, PCT, etc., what ever title the facility chooses to give you and do tasks that CNAs can't do because you are not working under the "CNA" title. Some facilities may want you to have CNA experience when they hire but that is only for your care experience and it is that basic training that they don't have to show you. So. if you are working under a CNA title then you have to work within your scope of practice and with proper training. If you are working under PCA, PCT titles, etc. there is no scope of practice but you do have to have proper training for tasks you perform.

mochabean · Mar 15, 2009

I'm a nursing assistant and I do blood sugars. With additonal training I could do blood draws and foleys, and then my title would change.