PICC Lines...drawing blood

[justine1012]

Hello, I am a new grad RN. Recently started a position. I have observed nurses take the injection cap(positive pressure)off of a picc line to draw blood. I am uncomfortable with this, as I am concerned with air embolism. I need guidance please....

[cassioo]

One reason RN's draw from lines and not lab techs because they've been trained to do so. You can't draw with the kinds of caps on that I've had at my hospital and the various ones different suppliers sent to homes when I did home health..you have to use sterile technique and do it right...you can mess up the lines if you do it incorrectly. The positive pressure cap is to keep the line open unlike the old days when you had to leave a bubble in the syringe to create that pressure as you withdrew the NEEDLE. After you've drawn and flushed with cap off flush with more saline with the cap back on to lock it back up if not on running fluids.
Check your hospitals procedure on drawing from lines and find out when you can be trained to do so so you'll have experience doing it with a preceptor before you are on your own