We are a hospital based donor and apheresis service. We perform many outpatient phlebotomies during business hours. However, we do not bring our on-call apheresis RN in after hours to perform requested inpatient phlebotomy. We have had several requests lately. Can you share your practices for after hours therapeutic phlebotomy?

Yes, our apheresis nurses do after hours therapeutic phlebotomy. They consult with the patient's physician to see if it can wait. Not performing the phlebotomy can make the difference as to whether the patient has a stroke or some other complication. Sometimes it is a ED patient they do not want to keep over night. Ultimateley the apheresis medical director has to approve it.