Nurses Reaction to Contrast Injection Disappointing
Nurses in New York State have not embraced the law change that now allows Rad Tech’s to inject contrast. I’ve been told to my face that they refuse to support it and won’t treat the “anaphylaxis that is sure to occur.” This is unprofessional and uncollegial in my opinion. A patient will have a reaction regardless of who injects. Why don’t they get it? We are professionals too. I for one am sick of seeing too many Imaging departments being run by the nursing department. Only the managers can ease this problem by coming forward and supporting technologists as they try to become certified. The Radiologists had faith in us and I will put more stock in the opinion of a physician before a nurse any day.
If it makes you feel any better, just this week a Radiologist came up to me and asked about this. He said “Its about time.” The Radiologists have always been in our camp about this. As he said, if there was a reacton, both the nurse and the tech. would do the same thing; call a radiologist.
February 19th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Good for him or her. I don’t know what it will take to earn the respect of the nurses, however,it is time we get it..
February 19th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
However it is also relatively new that contrast is considered a medication and needs to be treated as such. In this regard, who will do the patient assessment prior to the injection of the “medication”? We need to work with nursing in this regard.
February 21st, 2007 at 10:21 am
That’s true Steve, but it seems to me they have a farther way to come than we do,I don’t like that we have to earn their respect, they don’t seem to think we are “qualified” (subtitled capable). I’ll match our education and competency testing in contrast injection over theirs any day, and that includes assessment and the recognition of reactions.
February 21st, 2007 at 10:35 am
Yes Paulette, but we cannot match our education on assessment against an RN’s. I’m pretty sure that would be considered outside our scope in reference to medication administration and that now includes contrast.
March 5th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
I tell you absolutely that as far as NY State is concerned, assessment is beyond our scope. During our discussions with the nurses and the legislators it was always expected that the assessment would be done by a “practitioner” prior to the technologist administering the contrast.
March 6th, 2007 at 11:37 am
Well now…if the nurses really studied contrast material they would know that it is not a true allergy, although we treat as if it were anaphylaxis. True allergies are when people will always have the same reaction each time they are exposed to the irritant. But with contrast this is not true (we just premedicate prior allergies to avoid legal implications and the possibility of a repeat reaction). Nurses do not even study contrast…they only study how to treat a reaction…we can follow standing orders the same as any RT and probably better - because of our exposure to these types of reactions…we are ready for them…we know what to look for and when to go into high gear.
April 26th, 2007 at 11:38 pm
Steve,
The ASRT has a position statement on Venipuncture, administration of contrast AND MEDICATION. It IS considered within our scope by the ASRT…to administer medicaiton relative to contrast matrial administration with appropriate education etc. etc.
April 26th, 2007 at 11:41 pm