Should nurses prescribe blood components?

Elizabeth Pirie1, Jan Green

  • 1Effective Use of Blood Group, Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, Edinburgh. Liz.pirie@snbts.csa.scot.nhs.uk

Nursing Standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987)
|June 16, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Nurses prescribing blood components could improve patient care and efficiency. While many support this, some have concerns about resources and responsibilities.

Related Concept Videos

Blood Transfusion and Agglutination02:45

Blood Transfusion and Agglutination

Blood transfusion is a therapeutic measure to restore the blood volume after extensive blood loss due to an accident or a medical procedure. Blood transfusion involves drawing a certain amount of blood from a suitable donor and infusing it into the recipient.
History
The history of blood transfusion dates back to the 17th century, when early attempts were made in animals. In 1818 James Blundell, a British doctor, performed the first successful human blood transfusion. Later in 1900, Karl...
Venous Thrombosis IV: Nursing Management01:30

Venous Thrombosis IV: Nursing Management

Nursing management begins with a thorough assessment of the patient's health history. Key factors include trauma to veins, peripherally inserted central catheters, varicose veins, recent pregnancy or childbirth, surgery, bacteremia, prolonged bed rest, atrial fibrillation, COPD, heart failure, cancer, coagulation disorders, myocardial infarction, spinal cord injury, stroke, prolonged travel, recent bone fractures, and dehydration. Review medication intake, particularly oral contraceptives,...
Blood Transfusion01:15

Blood Transfusion

Blood transfusion is a critical medical procedure that saves lives and treats various medical conditions. It involves transferring blood from a donor to a recipient. This process requires a thorough understanding of the ABO blood group system and its associated antigens and antibodies.
Blood Transfusion Overview
A blood transfusion is a medical procedure used to replace blood lost due to injury, surgery, or to treat conditions such as anemia or cancer. During a transfusion, donor blood is...
Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-I01:21

Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-I

An interdisciplinary team includes many healthcare professionals working together and utilizing their skills, knowledge, and expertise to provide holistic and quality patient care.
Physicians
The physician's primary responsibility is to diagnose illness and direct the medical or surgical treatment of the condition. The authority to admit patients to a healthcare agency or institution and practice care within that setting is granted to physicians by the healthcare agency or institution itself.
Nurses' Legal Responsibilities I01:27

Nurses' Legal Responsibilities I

In healthcare, informed consent is a crucial process that involves thoroughly communicating medical treatment options to patients, including benefits, risks, potential side effects, and alternatives. This process enables patients to make well-informed decisions about their care, ensuring they understand the implications of their choices before consenting to or refusing treatment.
The legal responsibilities of a nurse regarding informed consent include the following:
Ethical Dilemmas I01:17

Ethical Dilemmas I

Ethical dilemmas in nursing are of utmost importance, as they often arise from the tension between adhering to core ethical principles and the practical realities of healthcare delivery. These dilemmas require nurses to navigate complex situations where competing ethical considerations pull them in different directions.
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...