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You must have appropriate supervision while performing any procedure. If you are asked to do a procedure unsupervised and you have never done the procedure before or you feel uncomfortable about doing the procedure, speak up! The first time you do a procedure you must be supervised by someone who knows how to do the procedure before you may do the procedure unsupervised (if appropriate) in the future. If you do not ask for help, you are not following appropriate professional conduct. If your patients are having more advanced procedures done, go watch. You will be able to explain procedures to patients more effectively if you yourself have seen the procedures performed.

Procedures you might perform alone (after initial supervision):

  1. venipuncture (Links are to New England Journal of Medicine videos)
  2. arterial blood gas (ABG)
  3. blood cultures

Procedures you might observe and assist (or perform under appropriate supervision):

  1. lumbar puncture
  2. paracentesis
  3. thoracentesis
  4. joint aspiration
  5. nasogastric tube insertion
  6. other videos

Procedures you might observe:

  1. cardiac stress test
  2. echocardiogram
  3. cardiac catheterization
  4. pulmonary function tests
  5. bronchoscopy
  6. EGD/colonoscopy
  7. biopsies of solid organs or bone marrow
  8. radiologic studies (CT, MRI, V/Q scan, etc.)