UAC/UVC Placement

[OwlieO.O]

I'm a student nurse and currently work in a level IIIa NICU. I'm curious if any of you RNs are allowed to place a UAC/UVC in your hospital setting, and why or why not. Thanks!

[labordude, BSN, RN]

I've never worked worked anywhere where the bedside RNs place UVCs/UACs. That being said, I am trained for high-acuity/high-risk transport team and I do have additional training to place those lines as well as intubate/place chest tubes/etc. Here's the long and short of it, most hospitals limit the number of people who they allow BY POLICYto place them because they are invasive procedures that require the maintenance of competency. It's far easier to track 10 people who do them than make sure every nurse does 5 in a year, for example. There is no requirement in my state or the 4 others I have worked in for it to be placed by a certain level provider. That being said, the emergent low lying placement of UVCs is included in NRP, but that's something none of us really wants to have to do.

[NICURN29]

We used to be trained to put them in when our level II campus did not have someone in-house 24/7 in the event a low-lying UVC had to be placed emergently. Because we have changed to 24/7 coverage by physician or advanced practice, we no longer are permitted to do it.

[zeus&lincoln]

Only our transport nurses, NNPs and neos place them at my hospital for the reasons described in the 2nd post of this thread.

[tjnkjn99]

I am from a unit that trained all the RN's to place UAC /UVC, intubate , needle aspirate and attend high risk deliveries. It is very dependant on your states nurse practice laws and having an MD verify competancy. Most units now are covering with NNP. I have to say I love being trained in this high level and being able to function at this level! Its awesome!

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[HyperSaurus, RN, BSN]

Our transport First Nurses can place UAC/UVCs and intubate. There are only a small handful of them. For us, our first nurses are considered the leader on transports, as we don't always have an NNP on the transport. They do remain in contact with the NNP or physician for orders during those transports.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

We practiced UVC insertion during STABLE class, but it was to give us an idea of what a provider will need in terms of assistance and supplies at the bedside......and to put hands-on experience with concepts we learned in class. Hospital policy is that only NNPs and neos place them. I don't know if our transport team does them....not something I thought about TBH.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

We only place umbilical lines when we transport. Otherwise it is residents and NNPs. Check your hospital policy.