Feeling really discouraged... Why do I suck so bad at IVs

Nursing Students General Students

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Specializes in Critical Care at Level 1 trauma center.

So I suck at IVs. I am only hitting like 20% of the one I try... I hit the vein every time but blow it soon after... I am about to graduate and got a job in a level one trauma center and I can't even start a %^$&*#$ IV!!!!!!!

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Hey, I'm with you! I know practice makes perfect and all, but it gets discouraging!

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And congrats on the job!

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

First off, congrats on the job! There are many tricks to starting an IV. First off, it takes time to become good at them... Here's something that I used to do when I was starting an IV: I used to simply pierce the skin and aim for where I want the tip to end up, not where I want it to enter the vein. The other part of that is that I used to pierce the skin very close to where I'd end up entering the vein. Once through the skin, all I'd then have to do is point that needle right at the target. That target, of course, is in the middle of the lumen of the vein.

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Specializes in Med/Surg,Cardiac.

If you blow them every time, you may be putting your tourniquet too tight. Loosen it some. Watch YouTube videos on iv starts. Most important is practice. Congrats on the job!

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Just practice and you should be fine. I wish my nurse had done that when I went in the ER for DKA. She went to get my ABGs and blew my veins in BOTH wrists and acted like it wasn't a big deal. She was replaced REAL QUICK.

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Hey dont get discourage. Im not a nurse nor a nursing student as yet. However, I work at NYU as a PCT. I never worked in a hospital or health care facility prior to this. Therefore, when I started as a PCT, drawing blood was not one of my greatest skills. I failed many times; nurses ended up doing the blood work for me. Guess what? The more i practiced the better I got. Now, I the one everyone looks for when they encounter a hard stick pt and cant get the vein. just keep practicing. Im planning to start nursing school by january and I know that starting IV is not something you will learn during nursing school. So i have been practicing IV on my cousins. I haven't failed as yet. Just practice and practice. You will get better.

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

Practice makes perfect. I sucked at IVs at first (didn't have many opportunities to start them!) and then I became decent. I now start them all of the time in the ER and I am becoming really good. Don't get discouraged. IV is a skill that takes time to learn.

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Specializes in Emergency.

As a new grad you will not be expected to be proficient at ivs. Or anything for that matter. It'll all come with practice. Before you know it, you'll be able to backhand a 16 in from across the room. Welcome to the darkside.

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Just practice and you should be fine. I wish my nurse had done that when I went in the ER for DKA. She went to get my ABGs and blew my veins in BOTH wrists and acted like it wasn't a big deal. She was replaced REAL QUICK.

I don't get it. She blew your veins getting ABGs?

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I don't get it. She blew your veins getting ABGs?

Ugh. Arteries. It was 2am when I posted this.

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Specializes in Hematology/Oncology.

should find a junkie on a street corner and ask if you can practice on him.

Obviously you are going at too much of an angle

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