What are my responsibilities as a nurse caring for patients receiving sedation?
As a nurse, I care for patients under sedation. What are my responsibilities?
As a nurse, you may be working in several departments where patients receive sedation: theatres, cath lab, endoscopy, radiology, ED, intensive care, dentistry, fertility, amongst others.
You may be the one administering sedation or just the one monitoring the patient. So what are your professional responsibilities?
In October 2013, the document Safe Sedation Practice for Healthcare Procedures was published, establishing new standards and guidance. This includes the requirements of a sedation policy, 
audit, logbook, committee and specific training for physicians, nurses, ODPs, physician assistants and other healthcare professionals involved in sedation. The document also highlights a minimum core curriculum of the training required for all professionals, regardless of job title.
So if you are a nurse and are either administering sedation, monitoring or recovering a patient from sedation, make sure:
- You have certified training in accordance with the core curriculum defined by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. This includes theory and practical education.
- Keep a logbook of the sedation cases you are involved in. What medication was used, where there any complications and how satisfied where your patients?
- Perform regular audits on sedation practice in your department. How is your department and team doing when it comes to sedation practice? Are you compliant?
- Make sure your hospital/department has a sedation policy that incorporates all the requirements of the latest guidance and standards.
- Maintain your CPD and skills up to date.
If you have questions about sedation practice compliance, get in touch with us here.
SedateUK also offers a comprehensive package so you can get compliant quickly, from theory to practical training, policy, logbook, audit, consultancy and ongoing CPD. Check us out at www.sedate-uk.com
