Where can I learn to start an IV?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

School didn't teach it and my job now is not directly clinical. I want to pick up some per diem days here and there just to keep my skills but also know that people want a per diem who can, you know, DO something.

Thanks.

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Specializes in EMS~ ALS.../...Bartending ~ Psych :).

Try your local rescue squad..... If they can't teach you, they can probally point you in the right direction....

Good luck

J.Q.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

Could you take a iv certification class like the ones lpn's have to take?

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

At my facility, part of orientation for new hires is IV practice. They cover policy and procedure and have a practice session with a fake arm. After that, when you are working on the floor, you have to do three starts with supervision, then you are checked off and can do them independently. Maybe there is a facility near you that has a similar policy?

Also, when I was a student, they offered extra days at an outpatient surgery clinic to practice IV starts.

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Who needs a shot, I actually looked up my local EMS training roup - which is 100 miles away. I'm in a rural area.

Pointe, my dancing friend, I can't find one.

Virgo, there's nothing nearby except where I work and they don't want to mix the geek nurse into clinical. The nearest facility is 60 miles.

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It sounds as if you are kind of stuck. We didn't do a blank thing in school. I had to take an IV cert class to do the skill at all. I've taken the IV cert class twice, but still don't have experience. In LTC, I had limited experience, and now in hh I tell them I am not qualified and I don't want to work with IVs in the home, certified or not. My agency sups gave me a hard time about it only one time.

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Oh, thanks, everyone!

My DON likes me. Maybe she'll let the nurses teach me.

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Specializes in CRNA.

try an unresponsive patient in the ER/OR/code type situation, they never complain how many times you stick them.

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try an unresponsive patient in the ER/OR/code type situation, they never complain how many times you stick them.

*snort*

Yeah, that'll go over big.

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Specializes in ICU.

Probably not too much help with actual practice starting one, but if you go to youtube and search for IV, there are several how-to videos.

I'm in my last semester of NS and doing a critical care rotation. I'm a little stressed, since in our level we're supposed to be able to assume total care. Well the problem with that is I have only started ONE IV and that was a year ago. Same with a foley. At least reviewing and watching with explanations helped a bit. But I want practice.....

Good luck!

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, corrections, +.

Our cert here is offered through our pharmaceutical supplier. It was a very good course. Then you have to have 5 sticks with the IV team at the hospital to cert. And yes the first attempt was on an unresponsive in for ECT!!! I was so freaked that I couldn't find that first one. But ended up getting my 5 pretty quickly.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.
Who needs a shot, I actually looked up my local EMS training roup - which is 100 miles away. I'm in a rural area.

Pointe, my dancing friend, I can't find one.

Virgo, there's nothing nearby except where I work and they don't want to mix the geek nurse into clinical. The nearest facility is 60 miles.

Bummer.

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