This update is for our Livingston members. St. Barnabas is now starting a policy of staff nurses drawing stat bloodwork from the hours of 10pm-6am. We want the nurses to know that we are not in agreement with this new policy. The union views phlebotomy as a non-nursing function because it can be and is performed by phlebotomists and technicians currently. But the hospital ‘doing more with less’ and of course it falls back on the nurses. Nurses do perform venipunctures, BUT it is normally only in areas of nursing (ie. critical care, telemetry) where the nurse/patient ratios are 1:2 to 1:5.

We have reached out to management and expressed our concerns with this new policy including patient care with the acuity of patient assignments and staffing at night.  Management may still implement the policy.

But we have presented management with some guidelines for our nurses should they have to perform venipunctures.

1) If the nurse/patient ratio is greater than 1:5, than the nurse will not do the venipuncture and phlebotomy or whomever the hospital designates will have to do it.

2) If the acuity of the nurse’s assignment is too high, then the above again will apply.

3) That there be a reeducation of the medical staff in that ‘stat’ orders are to be ordered only in essential and life threatening situations. And the hospital will be monitoring the charts to make sure this procedure be strictly enforced.

4) That the venipuncture policy not be subject to any disciplinary action of the nurses.

We are also aware of the new ASK ME buttons management has told the staff to wear. If your patients do ask you questions, you should be truthful with them; anything else will just get you into trouble.  Perhaps the Hospital will come to regret this “button.”  

So let me reiterate: you as nurses are your patients’ caregivers and advocates. If this new procedure puts your license or a patient’s safety or comfort at risk, you need to put it back to the hospital for resolution. Bring your situation to the supervisor and tell her that she/he has to arrange for phlebotomy, because either your assignment’s acuity is too high or the ratio is greater than 1:5. Also, you must tell your supervisor if you think that you need more training.  We do not want you to jeopardize your job, or the patients’ safety, because you are afraid to ask for more training.  We cannot stop the hospital from implementing this but we can ensure that we are practicing safely for ourselves and more importantly for our patients. We can only hope St. Barnabas has the same mission, I guess we should ‘ASK’.

IN UNITY,
Maria Refinski RN, BSN
President NJNU