How to get practice starting IVs / drawing blood

Nurses General Nursing

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Does anyone know if there are classes or such for RNs to get practice starting IVs and drawing blood? I don't feel like I learned them at all in school, and working in LTC I never get to do them. There are the IV certification courses for LPNs, and I've seen some that are open to RNs for a refresher. But they are full 10-week classes covering all the stuff we covered in school, and then actually practicing the sticks is just a small part of the class. I just need the practice doing the sticks. And same with blood draws. Is there any way to get this practice?

Specializes in Med./Surg. and paramed. exams.

I agree with those that say to get a part-time job in a different facility or volunteer in a different facility where you will get experience with sticks. It just takes time. I wouldn't spend my time in a class, its gonna be very similar to what you had in school. Get some real experience with real patients, you will learn alot that way.

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

Why can't you do this at your current job? Do you have an IV team or phlebotomist that comes and draws your labs? If it isn't against policy, ask your phlebotomist if you can draw your own labs! Where I work, lab comes and draws everything unless the patient has a central line, then the RN's draw. In the ICU, RN's draw all of their own labs, central line or not. If your facility utilizes an IV team, how about trying to get on that team to get experience?

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alas, although i know nursing students view the ability to cannulate a vein to be the ne plus ultra of nursing skills, the fact is that a lot of nurses go weeks and weeks, or months, or years, without every having to do one. maybe the floor you work on gets fresh postops with nice lines in place, and phlebotomists draw all your labs because they know what fancy tubes to put them in. maybe the iv team does all the ivs and picc sticks, by protocol. i went to critical care direct out of school and never had to stick anybody for anything except the rare arterial stick for blood gases, and that was easy to learn, an anesthesiologist was happy to teach me. i got all my bloods outta little stopcocks, no needles involved:d. twenty years went by without any excuse for having to stick anybody.

if you end up somewhere that it's a frequently-needed skill, you'll learn it there. don't think you have to be proficient the day you get out of school, because, well, you don't.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

IV starts are just another skill. It's not even a nursing-specific skill. There are a lot of other providers that can do it.

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Specializes in Infectious Disease, Neuro, Research.
It makes my heart ache that you didn't get this in school "enough"....:(

Nurses don't need all that practical mumbo-jumbo, they need sound theory and leadership.:rolleyes:

A plasma donation center would be a good place to learn...

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Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.

This is one of the few things that has frustrated me a bit at my new position. In school, I did 3 IV starts, each one went a little smoother than the last & I was able to get each one. But since I've been working, I've only had 3 chances to start an IV (although everyone told me I would have "lots of practice on nights") & I could not get any of them. I have to say though, that it took a 3rd nurse to finally get an IV started on 2 of them, and the other was not an easy "stick" for the 2nd nurse either. So, it makes me feel a little better that I wasn't able to get them myself. It just seems like the opportunities are few & far between. Most of my patients are older, coming in for hip/knee replacements (ortho floor), & just don't have the greatest veins. But they also come to the floor w/ their IVs & typically will be discharged before the IV has to be changed.

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Specializes in neurology, cardiology, ED.

My school didn't teach these skills at all, they claimed that we would be trained by our facility when we started as RN's. It's true that my employer did send me to follow the IV team for half a day, but it was really my phlebotomy experience from working as a tech that helped me feel competent at "getting" a vein.

So to the OP, I would suggest a phlebotomy course, and then either volunteering, or an actual paid job with the Red Cross, or somewhere like that where you will really do a ton of sticks every day.

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