Suturing - Do you do it?

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Specializes in ER, Renal Dialysis.

Nurses in my country don't do this (not applicable to Delivery of course), and any suturing will be done by the doctor. Well, the least that I have done is either Glue stitch or steri-strip and nothing more. But not the invasive type.

How's the situation in US of A?

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

I don't do it in the ER where I work (small rural), but would love to. I believe I have heard of training courses within a hospital where they deem you capable of simple sutures, but it's a hospital by hospital basis. It is not typical for ER nurses in the US to suture based on my experience.

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Specializes in ER, Infusion therapy, Oncology.

Only NP's are allowed to suture at our facility.

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As a past CST/FA I use to close with MD then became a RN and can not close do to the Board of nursing. I have to become a RNFA to be able to close again. Which is funny I work at the same place and have to tell the doc's I can't help.

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Did a whole lot of small laceration repair in the military. Now, the only suturing I do is to secure a chest tube. This situation does not occur very often however.

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Specializes in Emergency Midwifery.

Nurses are allowed to suture at our facility. However they have not been trained to do so.

Both nurses able to suture were trained elsewhere, and it really depends on how busy the doc is and how much "control" they are willing to relinquish.

Cheers,

Nicky.

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Specializes in ITU/Emergency.

In the UK, nurses can suture but it depends on the facility. I used to love working weekend nights so I could get lots of suture experience on all the drunks that came in.

Why aren't nurses allowed to suture over here in the US?

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Specializes in ER.

Suturing??? PLEEESE do not add anything else to my already very full plate. I have no problem "letting" the docs do this one.

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Specializes in Emergency - Pediatric.

Our EDT's do most of the suturing unless it is extensive. Then it is done by a MD. I agree with the above post...we don't have time to be in a room suturing for 30 minutes! Sedations are are bad enough!

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Specializes in ER, Renal Dialysis.

Gee, thanks for the replies!!!

I am just worried about this post that I applied in a foreign contry where I might be placed in ER. Having to do suturing, which is something I have not done ever is frightening me if that role is within the job scope.

Oh yeah, somehow forgotten how time consuming it can be.

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i have been a cfa for many years. and after all time and trouble it took to aquire this, now my hospital wants to let any cst the right to close after just taking a short class. is this in their scope of practice?:bowingpur

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Specializes in ER, Trauma, ICU/CCU/NICU, EMS, Transport.
Our EDT's do most of the suturing unless it is extensive. Then it is done by a MD. I agree with the above post...we don't have time to be in a room suturing for 30 minutes! Sedations are are bad enough!

As an NP who does suturing, I agree with this poster! If it's a "quickie" job (less than 10 min) that's okay, but the longer ones...I hate! I'd rather do other stuff or go see my other patients!!! It was cool at first when out of grad school, and unfortunately some of the ER attendings I work with "think" we NP's just LOVE to suture and they "save" them for us....

One naive' YOUNG attending once asked me "what it would take for me to do his sutures for him", I said "ten bucks"....he then proceeded to pull out his wallet and pull out a 10$ bill - YES I TOOK IT! and it was a 15 minute job, so at that rate I was making an exra $40/hour!!!!

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