Procedural Sedation by Registered Nurses in the Interventional Radiology Setting: Incorporating Evidence-Based Practice Regarding Medication Selection, Fasting, and Mitigating Cardiorespiratory Complications

Registered nurses administer procedural sedation in the interventional radiology setting to manage a patient's pain and anxiety to facilitate the performance of unpleasant but necessary procedural interventions in a safe, effective, and humane fashion. The nurse who is administering procedural sedation should maintain competency regarding knowledge of the medications being administered for procedural sedation, knowledge of the drugs required to reverse the effects of procedural sedation medications, ability to assess the patient's response to procedural sedation, and the knowledge and ability to respond appropriately in the event of an adverse reaction to procedural sedation medications. The nurse should be a part of the facility's policymaking team with respect to procedural sedation. The nurse should bring evidence-based information to the policymaking process to assist him/her to be an effective patient advocate. This article examines the available scientific data related to medications for procedural sedation, appropriate fasting considerations, and mitigation of cardiorespiratory complications.