Sodium Bicarbonate IV Administration

[Mseenurse]

Hi, just wanna ask you guys, if sodium bicarbonate should be given by resident doctors or nurses? I have no problem giving sodium bicarbonate IV to my patients. there is this one female patient who is a diabetic, her doctor told us to give sodium bicarb 1 vial iv bolus because she was having a metabolic acidosis. I told one of my junior staff assigned to that patient to administer IV bolus, but she refused because according to her it should be given by a resident on duty. I reassured her that nurses can give IV sodium bicarb but she told me that I should give it since I was so sure about it. I 'm confused aren't we suppose to give sodium bicarb?

[suanna]

Bicarb, like any other drug, should only be given if you know why you are giving it, what should happen when it is given, and what could happen that you need to watch out for. Your "junior" nurse was right in not wanting to give a drug when they were not familliar with the potential complications, but as others have posted, you should have a written policy for which drugs can be given by what staff and under what circumstances. I've pushed oodles of Bicarb in my career- I like the drug, but you do have to know what to watch for and what to do about it when the enexpected happens.