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

[kroegerk]

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!!

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

IVs we did on the practice arm. IM injections we did on each other w/ a TB needle (defeats the purpose, eh?). We did subq's and intradermals on each other. Blood draws we did in a sim lab. Nice. We did exams on each other, everything except genitalia & breasts.

[NurseKatie08, MSN]

We practiced injections on an orange...practicing on each other was optional--the clinical instructors let us practice on them if we didn't want other students practicing on us.

IV insertions were not taught at our school. I know people who learned them on the job, from doing blood draws as techs during school, but I never did. I've had my license since July, and still haven't done an IV insertion. (I work rehab within a SNF, so typically people come in with PICCs, if they are going to be getting IV therapy from us.)

[spongebob6286, BSN, RN]

we did practice IM injection and IV insertion with each other. we weren't satisfied doing it on dummies only. lol

[snazzy-jazzy, BSN, RN]

I wouldn't be impressed if we had to stick each other. We practiced on a dummy (Fabio :uhoh21: ) and for IM we used an uncooked roast. Then we got to do it on real patients in clinical prac, I did my first one then when I gave my second one the nurse told the patient 'oh its ok, she's done it before' and patients hubby said 'yeah to oranges' LOL.

[ImASuckyCMA87]

Wow... I myself am planning to return to Community College in January to begin my prereqs and I thought for sure you guys practiced on one another. I am a medical assistant, and during my training we gave each other injections and performed venipuncture (not IV's, of course) on a daily basis! I now work at the same school that I got my training, as a lab assistant (a teacher's aide is really what it is, ugh) and everyday I watch those poor girls give and get injections and draw blood. So I guess my question is, is it safe? Is it ok to have your blood drawn and receive injections (IM, SQ and ID) everyday??

[PedsAtHeart, LPN]

we didnt practice on each other, we had other things for that. But when it was check off time yes we did them on each other and you had to pass that in order to give them in clinicals.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Wimps! You're all wussy wimps! (old codger here)...

Back in my day (BSN, '78) we practiced just about everything on each other - ng tubes, IVs, injections, et suctioning, phlebotomy. Our instructors felt that it was important for us to understand not only the mechanics of the task, but what it felt like to the patient.

They did draw the line on any task that would have required us to actually shed clothing.... thank heavens. But we did have to get into skivvies to practice bedbaths on each other - that was a riot!

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

They did draw the line on any task that would have required us to actually shed clothing.... thank heavens. But we did have to get into skivvies to practice bedbaths on each other - that was a riot!

I did have to say I was a bit surprised (ok, my jaw dropped) when one of the TAs for the assessment skills lab stripped down to her bra & undies to let us all auscultate, percuss (like we ever do THAT), & palpate her lungs, heart & abdomen.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

My understanding is that since the time of HIV, Hepatitis, etc., the insurance costs for allowing students to do this were astronomical so they stopped that practice.

We did not practice any needle insertion techniques on each other - just the fake arms.

And the patients.

steph

[jeepgirl, LPN, NP]

nope... no way! why would you do that when there are perfectly good dummies?!

[chenoaspirit, ASN, RN]

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 !

Same here but we had to do our own fingerstick so we knew how the patient feels to be stuck and so we could practice reading manual glucose readings. It was forbidden to practice on each other. For IV's we had dummy arms that had fake veins with a red solution to simulate blood for a flash in the IV catheter. For the intradermal bleb, we had dummy "skin" to do that on. We even had a dummy that gave birth to a dummy baby and we could check fetal heart tones, etc. It was pretty cool. We had something fake to do everything on. But years prior to when I was in school, they did practice baths on each other. Now that would totally creep me out.

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

We signed consent forms to allow people to practice on us; but we were not forced to, I had five IV starts done on me at the same time because I have good veins and not everyone wanted to get poked but everyone had to poke. I would be surprised if any school forced their students...or could even do so legally! There is nothing dangerous about practicing IVs on each other if you are trained appropriately...if some one thinks otherwise I wonder why they think they have any business doing it on real patients...

We practiced injections as well with normal saline. It depends on the schools insurance, the ASN program at the JC can not practice on each other but we at the UC can.