Who reads your mantoux (PPD) test?

[psu_213]

Last week, I had my PPD placed. The employee health nurse who placed it said "now you have to come back Thursday or Friday to have it read." I asked him if I could just take the form and have it read by an RN on my unit? He told me that it was "policy" that it had to be read at employee health. My question...why? Why could it not be read by an RN in the ED or by my PCP or the nurse at her office? I know that I have read them/signed forms for individuals employed at other facilities. I understand that policy is policy, but (like so many other policies) what sense does this policy make?

(The ironic part of all of this, the secretary/MA at employee health read my test/signed my form, not a nurse.)

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

At my facility, PPDs are done once a year over a period of 2 weeks. Every person must have it placed and read by someone from employee health, but they do at least make it convenient by holding it in the lobby of the employee parking garage. Most get it done on their way in, some get it done on their way out. Either way, employee health has people there for four hours in the AM, take a lunch break, and then are there for another four hours. No one else may read them.

[avaloncar, BSN, RN]

When I was in nursing school, my psych teacher checked mine and signed off my form. lol But then again the PPD was for my school records. So....But if it is policy for them, just do what they say and leave it alone.

[Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN]

Any RN. Original paperwork must be presented at time of assessment.

[anangelsmommy, ADN, BSN, RN]

Back for my BSN this year so my physician placed it and said any RN (besides me) could read it, my friend read it and signed it, I sent it in and they sent it to my school. For my company, they placed it and I read it myself and called it in - this was the two step. not sure if that makes a difference but I questioned whether I could read my own and they said, you're an RN aren't you? like I was crazy!

[CodeteamB]

Self reporting for routine testing and have to go to the OH office for post-exposure testing.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

When I worked in the hospital there were a select few nurses (usually 2 or 3 from each floor) who were allowed to plant them and read them on employees. This was supposedly done for "quality assurance purposes". There was also the option to go to Occ Health to have it planted/read and, yes, it was the secretary who read it if you went over there.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Any of my nurses can plant a PPD and any of the RNs can read them.

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

(The ironic part of all of this, the secretary/MA at employee health read my test/signed my form, not a nurse.)

Well, that'd be a big no-no where I work. I had no idea that they trained secretaries to read PPDs.

[~PedsRN~, BSN, RN]

I do remember fondly that reading and signing off on my best friend's PPD was the very first thing I did as an RN! The very first time I signed my name with "RN" behind it. :)

Same here! :) I remember that fondly.

Any RN can read a PPD..... I have mine read and signed off at work.

[CHAVNY]

Our facility requires employee health to plant and read. Its "policy".

I have noticed anytime there has been some sort of issue, new hospital policy has been issued.

There are all kinds of legal and risk management issues these policies cover.

I choose to do my best to follow through and then be really glad I am not involved in the policy making process.

[Debilpn23]

Any of my nurses can plant a PPD and any of the RNs can read them.

Same where I work any nurse can plant a PPD and any RN or LPN can read them

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

It seems to be extra work for the secretary.

It depends on facility policy.....anyolne can be "trained" to read a PPD,

The best way to have quality control is to have only a certain number of personnel who are "qualified" to administer and read PPD's properly....this is to prevent errors on positive/negative results and provide quality/thorough follow through for positive/false positive/faked negative results.