IV on the 1st Stick...

Nursing Students General Students

Published

Specializes in School Nursing, Ambulatory Care, etc..

I started my 1st IV yesterday! :) I go it on the 1st stick too...right into the vein! :) Then, I advanced the cath and blew the vein :chair:

On the up side, I got the IV started on the 2nd stick although it didn't go right into the vein like the 1st one did, I had to "hunt" a little.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Specializes in ER, ICU, Nursing Education, LTC, and HHC.

That's pretty good. Starting the first IV is pretty exciting. It all comes with practice, practice practice.. I would like to suggest though, that when you get a good IV in place, like it sounded you did on the first stick, try to slowly advance the IV catheter at the same time, start removing the IV stylet outward. What tends to happen is as you advance into the vein the metal stylet will blow the vein if it is not backed out slowly as you advance the catheter to allow it to "float into the vein". Good luck with nursing school. And good luck with future IV starts. :)

Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.

aplause.gif APPLAUSE !!! Whooot ! :balloons:

Good job ! Keep at it... practice DOES make perfect ! ... well... ALMOST perfect ! ;)

Good JOB!! I also agree with the poster who said to pull the needle back as you push the catheter in. The needles we use at the hospital are the push button retact ones and they are heaven sent! :) Keep up the good work!

I learned a neat trick from my preceptor that may also work....after withdrawing the needle, float the catheter in with IV fluids either by freeflowing the pump or flushing the t-connector after attachment. It works wonders. Just guide the catheter in as the fluid fills the vein. My only hassle is having enough hands.

One thing that helped me is have everything you'll need ready. Once you get blood return stop advancing. Hook up your flush and sometimes you can flush the angio right on in without blowing the vein. Good veins are usually in most healthy adults are the radial, have the pt bend their arm and there is usually a good one there. I usually don't go for the AC because when the pt bends their are it makes the pump beep occlusion. Go by feel as well as by site. If you are having a hard time finding one get a warm compress and wrap around the arm that helps sometimes. But most of all practice, practice, practice. sometimes you just can't miss and sometimes you have dry spells. Janice

I had to post this a few months ago I found an Iv that was inserted the opposite way it was suppose to go. I got a giggle out of that one.J

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

Kudos,, monica is right,, and also i might add that if they are little fraile veins it is OK to keep the tounaquet on until you have advance the cath then release the tournaquet. A little trick my NM taught me. Keeping the tournaquet on keeps the little veins distended and makes it easier to advance the cath. Just dont forget to take it off, its easy to forget if you get in a habit of popping the tournaquet as soon as you get that flash. I usually wait to pop the tournaquet until just before i push the last bit of the cath off the stylet.

And i stop advancing the stylet as soon as i get a flash, then advance the cath off of the stylet in every stick i do.

+ Add a Comment