Position Statement Regarding RRT’s Providing IV Care to Pediatric Patients During Transport

TENNESSEE BOARD OF RESPIRATORY CARE
It is the Board of Respiratory Care’s position that, pursuant to T.C.A. § 63-27-102(4)(A), A registered respiratory therapist may initiate and/or manage intravenous access to a pediatric patient during transport, so long as the following conditions are met:
 * Position Statement Regarding RRT’s Providing IV Care to Pediatric Patients During Transport
 * a) The patient requires cardio-respiratory care; and
 * b) The respiratory therapist is specifically ordered (either verbally or in writing) by a
 * licensed physician to initiate, administer, and/or manage(1) intravenous access on
 * that cardio-respiratory patient as part of the patient’s continuum of emergency care; and


 * c) The treating respiratory therapist possesses documented training and competency
 * in the initiation and management of intravenous cardio-respiratory medications; and


 * d) The supervising physician remains immediately available either in person or by
 * telephone throughout the transport of that patient until the patient has reached the
 * medical facility and the RRT is no longer responsible in any way for initiating or
 * managing intravenous access on that patient.


 * Adopted by the Board of Respiratory Care on August 21, 2008.
 * 1) For the purposes of this position statement, to “manage” an IV line means to maintain the appropriate flow of medications through the patient’s IV once the IV has been initiated.