radiology

[LeslieBergstrom]

i worked as an IR nurse until the hospital where I was employed decided to d/c the position. I know it is unsafe to do thoracentesis, paracentesis, biopsies, etc, without a nurse in the room (only the MD & the sono or rad tech) but is it actually legal? Anybody know?

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

It's entirely under the discretion of the physician who is performing the procedure. If the IR patient procedure involves any sort of sedation, it may flip into the realm of anesthesia regulations - which would dictate the need for a nurse or anesthesiologist, but otherwise, there doesn't have to be a nurse.

Tx is one of the very few states that still has 'permissive licensure'... whereby physicians can delegate activities to anyone they choose. In the not too distant past, many hospitals allowed surgeons to bring in their own their private 'scrub techs' that only had on-the-job training in that physician's office. Srsly. Thank heavens, stronger regulation by JC/CMS and pressure from liability insurers has put a stop to this in hospitals, but it still happens in physician offices.