Although bedside testing is not new, the compliance standards are relatively new.
Regulations ensure that all personnel are trained to properly perform the test.
The central laboratory and nursing of this hospital merge the best skills of both units to create a successful POC testing program. In 1991, our nursing and laboratory task forces combined to implement bedside glucose monitoring for patients. With this expanded POC testing, complicated compliance issues also grew. Options include adding the tests under the central laboratories CLIA license or obtaining a separate license for POC testing. If POC testing and the central laboratory obtain one CLIA license, remember any deficiences found in one of the programs may affect another program's operation .