Do your CT techs do the hydrations?

[DutchgirlRN]

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Where you work do the CT techs ever do the hydrations? Or is it always an RN? Hydrations require mixing an IV with Sodium BiCarb, infusing it as a bolus before and after the scan and administering Mucomyst PO. Just curious....Thanks

 

[Shifty B]

Most states have laws saying you have to be an RN to administer medications. And saline is a medication, as is mucomyst.

 

[DutchgirlRN]

CT and MRI techs do routinely start IV's, flush with NS, administer Magnevist and Isovue IV. These are all things in their scope of practice.

My concern was more that adding Sod.Bicarb to the IV is not in their scope of practice and that hydrations are bolused at 999ml/hr. I don't believe that CT/MRI techs have the knowledge to recognize when a patient is getting too much fluid too quickly, don't know what CHF is and don't know how to handle such patients.

It's been proposed where I work that the CT/MRI techs start doing some of the hydrations to save on nursing hours. I understand that physically they are quite capable of doing hydrations. I just don't know if it's legally in their scope of practice?

It's no business of mine if I'm not there when it occurs so I've just been keeping my mouth shut in regards to this issue. I love my job, I need my job. Just curious if any of you out there in radiology know if CT/MRI techs routinely hydrate patients?