[btrfly76]

One of the nurse managers wants to train a graduate practical nurse to start IV's in our pre-op area. She supposedly is "an excellent phlebotomist and has had 30 hours of didactic class". We do a variety of cases in our hospital excluding brain, open heart and OB. Any thoughts on this? Thanks for the input in advance.

[LHJ_RN]

Peripheral IV's? If it is just the basic pre-op IV start I don't see the big deal. If LPN's doing that is within the scope of practice for your state then great.
I started out as an LPN and if you took the IV class and had 3 successful sticks then they let you do IVs where I worked. There were some limitations, no hanging of IV meds, no hanging of blood but you could monitor the patient receiving the above.....

[SaraO'Hara]

I'm in California, but an IV-certified LVN can start IVs, hang blood, hang fluids - just no IV piggybacks or IVP meds.

[sharann]

Originally Posted by SaraO'Hara

I'm in California, but an IV-certified LVN can start IVs, hang blood, hang fluids - just no IV piggybacks or IVP meds.

Sara, I am in Calif as well. Can LVN's hang an IV bag such as D51/2 + 40meq KcL?
How about Albumin?
I am an RN but I never heard consensus on this one.
Thanks
I would welcome any LVN in the pre-op area to start IV's although then my skills would go to heck.

[Bx_RN2B]

If it's within the scope of practice what would be the problem?

Opps, I thought you were from CA, sorry I don't know anything about FL.

Originally Posted by btrfly76

One of the nurse managers wants to train a graduate practical nurse to start IV's in our pre-op area. She supposedly is "an excellent phlebotomist and has had 30 hours of didactic class". We do a variety of cases in our hospital excluding brain, open heart and OB. Any thoughts on this? Thanks for the input in advance.

[nurseabc123]

Originally Posted by Falon

If it's within the scope of practice what would be the problem?

Opps, I thought you were from CA, sorry I don't know anything about FL.

It's just a peripheral IV, our techs can do them on our unit.

[NoWaNrN]

There is such a thing as knowledge skill and ability as long as it is within your scope of practice. I think if she has been properly taught and is just inserting a PIV then she should be ok.