Use of stethoscope

When I worked in the UK, also trained in the UK, we never had time and it was the doctors who did chest and bowel assessments. When you had 2 RN's to look after 28 patients you had enough to do doing other stuff. Doctors mon-fri was working on the ward so was part of their job. Certain areas like ITU, chest wards/clinics you may see nurses doing the assessment but not all nurses would do it

Have to ask, a few years ago I worked with a nurse from Ulster. She said she'd never given morphine to a patient as the doctors gave it.

Now, if you hear a patient is chesty, wheezy, do you call for a doctor to come assess it or use his PRN Ventolin order?

If the client was a known COPD/Asthma then I would give the ventolin and monitor. If a Doctor was about then I would get in touch with them. Either way I would try and treat first.

I think what you have to remember in the UK doctors are probably more accessible than what I see where I live. Here the GP's take it in turns doing Emerg and seeing their patients on the wards where as in the UK the patient is admitted under a consultant who is responsible for all cares and then goes back under GP care once they are discharged from hospital. This is how I see it working in my area of Canada

Hi I work in a critical care unit,and yes I use the stethoscope to assess my pt's chest and bowel.

And if you know that the patient has any chest problem give the prn nebs straight away;then let the nurse in charge know about it