Respiratory Therapists Inserting PICC Lines

Specialties Infusion

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Here in Arizona several of the hospitals have started an experiment, they are actively replacing PICC nurses with RTs and calling them "Vascular Access Specialists." These RTs will place PICC lines, midlines, and US guided PIVs. My local INS chapter has not issued an official statement about this and my local AVA chapter is fully supporting this with about half of the members being RTs.

Any thoughts on this? Has anyone seen this in any other State?

Ok $45. You make that if you are agency. The staff nurses who makes that are the ones who has been doing nursing since I was born. Last year I was offered $22.46 as a new grad nurse. Almost $3 less than my RT pay of 4 years. RT are starting off $20 now. I know the economy sucks but something is clearly wrong in south Florida at least. I declined the job because I couldn't afford to take a pay cut so I finally got a job at a county hospital offering $3 more. But this hospital also hasn't given raises in 4 years do to union bargaining. Of course nursing has plenty of opportunities for growth that respiratory doesn't have so it is what it is

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Ok $45. You make that if you are agency. The staff nurses who makes that are the ones who has been doing nursing since I was born. Last year I was offered $22.46 as a new grad nurse. Almost $3 less than my RT pay of 4 years. RT are starting off $20 now. I know the economy sucks but something is clearly wrong in south Florida at least. I declined the job because I couldn't afford to take a pay cut so I finally got a job at a county hospital offering $3 more. But this hospital also hasn't given raises in 4 years do to union bargaining. Of course nursing has plenty of opportunities for growth that respiratory doesn't have so it is what it is

New grads in Arizona start around ther $30 area and we get paid ALOT less than California nurses, and keep in mind California is larger than most countries...the wages tend to vary with the area.

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Ok $45. You make that if you are agency. The staff nurses who makes that are the ones who has been doing nursing since I was born. Last year I was offered $22.46 as a new grad nurse. Almost $3 less than my RT pay of 4 years. RT are starting off $20 now. I know the economy sucks but something is clearly wrong in south Florida at least. I declined the job because I couldn't afford to take a pay cut so I finally got a job at a county hospital offering $3 more. But this hospital also hasn't given raises in 4 years do to union bargaining. Of course nursing has plenty of opportunities for growth that respiratory doesn't have so it is what it is

It sounds like you think RTs should be making minimum wage. Both RN and RTs have equal education. RT is based purely on reimbursement. Don't worry, RT wages will drop even more with the new health care so you can feel better that RNs are on top again. I really don't see RTs existing in some places much longer especially with some states deregulating them. So, just hold on and you will be making much more than RT as an RN.

Yes, California is large but the wages are still 2:1 for comparison between these two professions. Some RTs in California aren't making $20 with experience and still have a high cost of living. It wouldn't be a profession to even consider. Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy; now that is where the money is with good hours.

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It sounds like you think RTs should be making minimum wage. Both RN and RTs have equal education. RT is based purely on reimbursement. Don't worry, RT wages will drop even more with the new health care so you can feel better that RNs are on top again. I really don't see RTs existing in some places much longer especially with some states deregulating them. So, just hold on and you will be making much more than RT as an RN. Yes, California is large but the wages are still 2:1 for comparison between these two professions. Some RTs in California aren't making $20 with experience and still have a high cost of living. It wouldn't be a profession to even consider. Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy; now that is where the money is with good hours.

I don't think RT should be making minimum wage especially since I still practice 2 days a week. I have much respect as an RT, just sad how some nurses don't. And I know that they have the same education because I have associate degrees in both. As stated I am only speaking of south Florida where I live. And RT's aren't going nowhere down here. They are not in home health as much before.... But they are in the hospitals. They tried that once before. Five years ago a new grad nurse started at $26 at an HCA facility and it has went downhill that's all I am saying. It's also due to how over saturated the nursing field is down here. And I know I will be making more as a RN in a few years because the cap is hirer than that as a RT.

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And this isn't an RT vs RN thing for me. Just disappointed on the wages down here. But can't stay away from the sunny weather and beaches. ;)

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
And this isn't an RT vs RN thing for me. Just disappointed on the wages down here. But can't stay away from the sunny weather and beaches. ;)
Years ago...just before the economy tanked, glut of nursing grads...when Florida was in their housing market boom....as an experienced ICU/ED/trauma flight nurse....I would have taken a $25.00.00 per hour pay cut, and a housing cut to live there. I left believing that the sun has injured everyone's brains.

I was not willing to live in a house that was quarter the size on mine with no land to have sunlight around the year. I live in Massachusetts.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
And this isn't an RT vs RN thing for me. Just disappointed on the wages down here. But can't stay away from the sunny weather and beaches. ;)

SoCal has plenty of sunny weather and great beaches, along with staffing ratios and fair pay.

Everybody knows that Florida is the worst state to be a nurse in.

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Specializes in ICU.
SoCal has plenty of sunny weather and great beaches, along with staffing ratios and fair pay.

Everybody knows that Florida is the worst state to be a nurse in.

I don't know about that - have you worked in Georgia? ;)

On topic, I am a little surprised to hear of RTs doing PICCs. They do ABGs and arterial line placement here, so I guess they do have a leg to stand on to add PICCs to their list of things they can do (after all, I can't even place an art line), but it is a little strange to me.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I don't know about that - have you worked in Georgia? ;)

On topic, I am a little surprised to hear of RTs doing PICCs. They do ABGs and arterial line placement here, so I guess they do have a leg to stand on to add PICCs to their list of things they can do (after all, I can't even place an art line), but it is a little strange to me.

Haven't worked in GA, though I assume that like the rest of the south, it's a crappy place to work.

Your RTs place ART lines!!! That is crazy in my view. Until this discussion I have never heard of RTs placing any sort of line. Nor should they be IMO.

We have a small number of trained nurses who place ART and PICC lines.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

I'm in a fairly small city, approx 12,000. At my LTC/Rehab facility, I had a dementia LOL pull out her PICC line at 2am mid-week. Called the local hospital about having it replaced, "the nurses who do our PICC lines come in at 6am, call back then" and then it occurred to the house sup that I was speaking with that this particular PICC was placed at a larger hospital 30 minutes away, but she wasn't sure why, maybe I could call them? So I did. In their notes of my LOL, it was clearly stated that LOL was sent to their hospital b/c it was the weekend and local hospital PICC RN's don't work on weekends. I'd say THAT'S a strong case of "not stepping up" if you only offer PICC insertion hours roughly inline with "bankers hours".

What state are you in?

I am not sure that it is fair to say that nurses have not "stepped up." Unless it is terribly different in other states the PICC position is rather coveted and the demand for PICC positions far outweighs the supply. The determination to not have 24/7 PICC nurses is a leadership decision, not a nursing decision.

Having IR and CV techs place lines within their disciplines makes some sense however.

The nature of how some of the PICC teams have been treated would point to a fiscal motivation rather than a staffing need.

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Specializes in Oncology, Vascular Access.

It's not the nurses who are unwilling to step up -- it's the administrators who don't want to pay on call time or for 24 hour service. Unfortunately, it is the nurses who unfairly take the fall.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
It's not the nurses who are unwilling to step up -- it's the administrators who don't want to pay on call time or for 24 hour service. Unfortunately, it is the nurses who unfairly take the fall.
Like everything else.:rolleyes:
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