Are you forced to practice IV's and injections on each other in nursing school?

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Hello! I am currently taking my pre-reqs at Scottsdale Community College before the nursing program and have a few questions about the program. Im sure ALL schools are completely different, but I was curious to know when the time comes to practice inserting IV's and injections were the students forced to practice on each other? Or is it optional? I obviously dont mind administrating the IV or injection, I just have a fear of someone practicing on me. I know sounds silly!! How do they do these procedures at your schools? Better yet, if you are a student at Scottsdale Community College I'd really like to find out what to expect in the future of the program. Thanks!! :D

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

We practiced making wheals on one another, but it was voluntary only. We practiced SQ and IM injections on liquid filled plastic pads, and IV insertion on plastic arms.

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We practiced injections on special injection pads. And once we passed on that we could do it in clinical. Inserting IV's or drawing blood was not taught in school. Around here (MA) you learn on the job if it's required. Most hospital's in Boston have IV teams to start lines and the PCA's draw labs.

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Our school is weird...the phlebotomy class does for sticks but the nursing classes do not.

I did a stick on a SIMS man and then did my first stick on, ironically, a nurse who was hospitalized during her shift.

I made sure to review the procedure with my instructor, kind of get a verbal on what I was supposed to be feeling for, before I put the needle in to minimize pain to the patient. I didn't want to just stick it in and start digging around for a vein without knowing what I was supposed to be feeling for.

When you learn angles, you go in on about 15 degree angle into the vein and if they are in the surface, they are easy, if they are a little deeper, you'll feel a "pop" sensation and then you should see the flash of blood...that's where you'll press a small button on the syringe (my terminology is horrible..I'll admit), so you can retract the actual needle and advance the tubing through... and go from there.

No instructor had told me to feel for the "pop" before, so I wasn't sure what it was supposed to feel like from my end. But once I got it, I got it.

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Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

No, and I'm glad.

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma.

In my school it was absolutely forbidden to practice sticks on each other. Due to the risk of infection and such there was a policy in place that we could only practice on practice pads and fake arms. Although that is nothing like the real thing, at least we got the technique down then learned later how to landmark and feel for the pop and all that.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

No, but my mom actually let me practice IV's on her once. =) (my mom is a nurse and very UN-squemish!)

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Specializes in Government.

My RN program did require us to practice injections and venipuncture on each other. But that was a long time ago and I don't see that being done much any more.

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Specializes in ICU/ER.

Nope, not allowed. Not allowed to do them on patients in clinicals either. I didnt start my 1st IV till I had a license.

My 1st IV stick was on an all around healthy young man who had swallowed too many pills and was on a vent with his arms strapped down. Perfect patient!!!

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Specializes in LTC.

We do finger sticks on one another, and have to sign a form. We do not practice IV therapy on one another... waaaayyy too dangerous !

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Specializes in NICU Level III.

We were not allowed to.

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Sad to say, yes, we have to. We are actually doing IM check offs this Thurs coming.

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