Should nurses be able to pull chest tubes?

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Hi! Im a nursing student and during clinical I was put in an odd situation of being asked by a physician to pull a chest tube. I am from the state of Idaho (idk what regulations other states have) and for the most part, this procedure is per facility's policy. I didnt end up pulling it, as I have had no training to do so. So I pose the question.. Should Registered Nurses be able to pull chest tubes as part of their scope of practice?

I am posing this question for an assignment, so I appreciate the feedback

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

Honestly, no.

Sent from my iPhone.

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Specializes in Neurosurgery, Neurology.

Did the RN of the patient pull it?

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

i have pulled for decades

but I have decades of experience

i document "assisted dr soinso pulling right axilary chest tube, dressing applied,

etc....

the NP critical care and senior, experienced nurses as me do.

but "in association with".......way out of scope with being a student.

facillity p&p, along with NPA play into factors

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The RN that I was working with in clinical that day did pull it. She had never pulled one before and did not know facility policy regarding pulling a chest tube (which is a definite NO, to all nurses). Im looking for good opinions with rationale with this question.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

It's been nurses that pull chest tubes everywhere I've worked. It's not particularly complex and certainly isn't out of the realm of what nurse's do everyday. It does need to be something where a competency is acquired, confirmed, and maintained just like sheath pulls which I'd argue are far more complex than pulling a chest tube.

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I am now an RN in PA. During our critical care semester, in our hospital based school, I, and many of my classmates, did pull chest tubes, with our instructor guiding and teaching the whole way. It was an awesome feeling to snip the sutures and tug on that tube until it came out with that 'shlorp' sound. An amazing learning experience.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

The right answer is never do anything you haven't been trained for and always check hospital policy before doing any procedure.

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Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.

I am assuming when you say "pulling a chest tube" you are talking about removing it?

Is your preceptor comfortable letting you do this if you have talked through the procedure?

I would often take out a drain following surgery. Not something I had learned as a stiudent however went through the process with my preceptor prior to performing the procedure in the patients room.

As student nurses we didnt have a specifically defined scope of practice, it was laid down by the skills taught in school and the skills we learned on the ward.

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I left open heart surgery a long time ago but I taught enough residents how to pull them that I have no doubt whatsoever that it's a skill anybody can learn. ;)

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

i have been pulling for four +decades

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Specializes in Cardiac, ER.

I've pulled them for years. I don't see why this is a problem as long as you're taught how to do it!

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