First successful IV start

[ruralnurse84]

This is incredibly exciting for me. I attempted to start an IV on my partner earlier this week and then even tried one on my instructor with guided help from another instructor and was not successful. I was pretty bummed. My partner managed just fine on my crappy veins and many of my other classmates were successful posting pictures on facebook, bumming me out more. Today I went in determined to get it done. I was a little shaky beforehand, I just get shaky with stuff like this. I don't like being poked so I don't want to poke someone else. I found the vein and with a little guidance from my instructor successfully got it in the vein on the first try. I was so excited when I saw that flashback. Of course I still had to do the rest of the set up and was shaking so bad I had to sit and breathe in and out for a couple seconds. Now I feel I could do it on a real patient and hopefully will be less shaky. I was not shaky when I put the needle in, which I feel is important :)

[bigsick_littlesick]

Good job! Keep at it. I did my preceptorship in an ER so I got LOTS of practice and I loved, loved, LOVED the catheters they stocked. Never missed one. Now when I see an old field start or a bothersome AC, I can't wait to restart another one. I have a weird fetish for starting IVs We carry Insyte Autogards and Intimas (the butterfly one) at my hospital. I prefer the Insytes, I miss with the Intimas. The one I really like is the BD Nexiva's... But yes, practice makes perfect and sometimes no matter what you do, you'll still miss

[ames86]

Congrats! I wish my school let us practice on each other. The first time I actually got to start an IV was on an actual patient. I was successful. Lucky I got the chance because most people finish my program never actually starting an IV.

[melizerd, ASN, RN]

We do the dummy arm thing too. I've been fortunate that I'm in places that have the opportunity to start them on real patients. Last week I spent a day in the ED and started three on my own, first stick each.

I graduate in December.

It will come!