Procedural Sedation Practice: A Review of Current Nursing Standards

Although the administration of agents to induce procedural sedation is common practice among nurses, a unified consensus statement on registered nurse (RN) sedation core competencies and scope of RN sedation practice in the United States is lacking. In this article, the topic of RN sedation is discussed along with an examination of current sedation standards by the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Joint Commission. Current approaches of professional nursing organizations and state boards of nursing to sedation practice are also discussed. Three areas for improving existing RN sedation practice are identified: focused research on RN sedation practice, development of a standard for RN sedation practice, and development of a reliable source of up-to-date information on RN professional and clinical sedation practice standards and regulations. Recommendations for addressing each of these areas are provided to inform clinicians, researchers, regulators, and educators about current standards and knowledge gaps in sedation practice. Strategies to improve sedation research to advance practice areas are also discussed.