Re: epidural pumps

From: vnellsch (vnellsch@eastex.net)
Wed Jan 28 18:22:15 2009


at our little hospital near houston, the ob nurses will only turn the epidural pumps on or off, refusing to take orders to turn them up or down from anyone. the anesthetist does all the titrating. verner nellsch, md, private practice

> ----- Original Message -----
From: Glen Elrod To: Multiple recipients of list OB-GYN-L Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 10:07 PM Subject: epidural pumps

General question to the group. Who in your OB departments is/are responsible for adjusting the epidural pump rates? Not, who gives the order, but who physically punches the buttons to adjust the rate.

Evidently, AWHONN and ASA have been having turf war for quite a few years regarding who is qualified to adjust the pump. That debate has finally hit our humble unit and now nursing doesn't want to touch the pumps because AWHONN says they shouldn't, because its out of their scope of practice. ASA says there is no data to suggest nurses adjusting pumps is any more risky than patients giving self administered boluses by the PCEA. Who wins?

I'll be interested to hear the responses and then how those decisions were taken by the 'losing' side.

Glen





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