I am the IV Therapy Coordinator for a 4 person IV/PICC team. We are in house for IV issues and PICC placements 7 days a week from 8am-5pm. There is a Therapist on call when we are not in house. We have an issue with what constitutes criteria for after hour call in for PICC placements. The physicians think that PICCs should be placed 24 hours a day and the Interventional Radiologist don't want to come in after hours, but they expect us to come in and "try" to place each and every PICC. Does anyone have written criteria that would justify placing an after hour PICC?
I can not share a policy but I would submit that all patients should have the same level of quality services at all hours of the day. So I strongly believe that the services of an infusion-vascular access specialist is needed 24/7/365.
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, BC, CRNI
www.hadawayassociates.com
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, NPD-BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
That would be a wonderful thought, however, the hospital recentyl cut my FTE's and there are only 4 of us on the team. We used to be an 8 member team.
Also, Wyoming just recently allowed us to place MST PICCs and one of the stipulations is that we have to have an interventional radiologist available to back us up if there is problems. Our radiologists will not come in after hours for PICCs. So what I am trying to come up with is a criteria that would sort of force their hand to come in if I am unable to place the PICC at night.