We have several physicians not wanting to use ports for a variety of reasons. Some of the reasons are valid - need more lumens, concurrent TPN/chemo. However other reasons : they don't want to get port infected, it hasn't been used in awhile, they are going home, its not my line to manage, they are still getting chemo and so forth. Our patients often wonder why their ports are not being used also. We often feel that the PICC is additional risk for the patient and we want them to use the port. Are there any words of wisdom? guidelines? thanks in advance
2 actions you could take. Take this issue to the appropriate committees and request a hospital wide policy be written. And/or involve the patient in this decision. IMHO I think the first option must include the second one. If I were the patient I definitely would be directing who, how , and when my port was used. And strongly believe the patient must be involved in these decisions. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
126 Main Street, PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
Sorry to say ,but the quicker you get past this the better for you. The fact is the Oncologists don't want their ports touched. Why?. Because hospital care and maintenance is poor at best. In general, so before all you dedicated care and maintenance teams get all upset, IN GENERAL it's poor. Why do you think all these recommendations to reduce CLBSI's involve buckshot approach. They shoot at many steps, (signs on door, two person teams, biopatch at insertion..etc.) when the real problem is shoddy care and maintenance, but correcting that, with nurses moving from place to place, different shifts, large employee base.....to big of a job. So,if you were an oncologist and your patient was in a hospital, would you want his port accessed? The answer is no. Or you can try Lynn's idea and see where that gets you.