Who draws the blood at your hospital?

vamedic4, EMT-P · Jan 21, 2009

Jess, at my facility there are a number of staff who draw blood. These people include phlebotomists (the heart and soul of morning lab draws), nurses (occasionally) and technicians (EMTs and paramedics). We get a printed "flimsy" or piece of paper that tells us how much we need and what to put it in (lytes in a sodium heparin green top) and we go from there. ID of patients using 2 sources. Get the blood either from the heel or vein, whatever is called for, label correctly, time date and username on label, and it's sent to lab for analysis.

ondedelta · Feb 3, 2009

in italy blood drawing is completely left to nurses. it is a specific action permitted in our "professional profile" and you learn it during training,before graduate. also the IV infusions are a nurse speciality....with a ministerial law executive from december 2006 (but i can be wrong,don't remember exactly) nurses can also perform arterial drawing. sorry for my english....:)

JessTexan · Feb 3, 2009

:-) thank you

anit116 · Feb 18, 2009

JessTexan - Unfortunately your hospital is changng with the times. Most hospitals have begun using a widespread population of healthcare personnel to collect blood. It's cheaper in the long run to spread a task over a workforce that is also doing other tasks. Phlebotomists are being replaced in hospitals. Our profession as nurses embraced the idea because it made sense to take further advantage of skills. However, what has happened now is that hospital administrators have realized that if nurses can do it so can lesser paid personnel. You are right to be concerned. Before long the nurses tech with a minimal training will be drawing blood in your hospital. In today's hospital patient care is measured in dollars and cents$$.

JessTexan · Feb 18, 2009

Thank you for your reply ANTI116. So are you saying the nurses start out drawing blood and then it drops off to the CNAs? Pleas clarify. Thanks Jess

meandragonbrett · Feb 24, 2009

We draw our own labs in our ICU.

gambutrol · Mar 13, 2009

Here in the Philippines (for government-owned hospitals) all of the blood extractions (arterial or venous) and IV insertions are the responsibility of nurses regardless of unit or ward. I think this helps with the upgrading of your skill as a healthcare professional. When we say complete care, we mean "complete care"

Rob09sfa · May 29, 2009

Here in TX our CNAs draw the blood usually but if they are busy and it needs to be done then it falls back on us....its kind of a team effort....as someone said before this is showing to be more cost effecetive for hospitals and of course anything to save a buck!!!

Laboratorian · Dec 27, 2009

I worked for 7 years as a hospital phlebotomist. A nurse drawing blood was unheard of at my hospital. The nursing staff was already short staffed, why put even more work on them?

greenfiremajick · Apr 17, 2010

in italy blood drawing is completely left to nurses. it is a specific action permitted in our "professional profile" and you learn it during training,before graduate. also the IV infusions are a nurse speciality....with a ministerial law executive from december 2006 (but i can be wrong,don't remember exactly) nurses can also perform arterial drawing. sorry for my english....:)

Your English was/is awesome! :yeah:

APNgonnabe · Apr 17, 2010

Here is my :twocents: ...I've worked in two different hospitals one a community hospital and the other Level I trauma w/ an active CABG program. In the community hospital the techs draw blood. It transitioned from the techs being on the floors as CNA(well PCT if they had the phelb training) and now many of the PCT went to the lab because the lab took over drawing all lab work in the house except for ABG which is RT job. If the pt has a line then the RN draws the blood and sends it down to lab. In the level I the night RN would draw their own AM labs including ABG's. The RN's would not draw cultures however. The day RN did not draw any blood. I enjoyed having the ability to draw my own blood because I could do it when I wanted it. Which was usually when the pt needed it. If you have to wait for a lab tech to come do it they may not get there exactly when you want to have them there. This could be multifaceted and usually nothing to do with the actual tech but more their work load. No, I do not like having additional responsibilities but at the same time when it comes down to it the nurse is usually responsible for how or why things happen during their shift. This is not saying that the techs are not valued or needed. They would still draw all lab work on the general floors which sounds like the OP's hospital has more than enough beds. Again my :twocents: .