100+ attempted IV starts, 3 successes

[crx971]

Last one 2 years ago. I just don't get it. I've tried dozens of IV starts on people with veins of bodybuilders, like veins that are the size of normal person arms. Basically arms that are 99% veins and 1% space between them. Any anxious student with shaky hands can throw a needle blindfolded from 10 ft away and still end up with a perfect IV, and I will be poking and poking and poking... to no avail. This is not a confidence issue, I stopped caring after like 20 fails after realizing this is just not one of my talents, I can't be good at everything. Not a technique issue, I've been through IV courses, IV team education and personal training and everything, know exactly how to do it, but just can't do it. No pressure. Our hospital has an IV team which I call for IV starts, also a bunch of nurses oin the floor who are good at IV starts so I can have IV placed quick without a problem. But sometimes if pt pulls out IV and I'm bored have nothing to do, I'll just grab supplies and try to do it myself even though I don't have to. Semi-comatose patients, or patients who don't care who have excellent bulging veins (anything less than excellent which is 99% of my pts I usually pass on or do 2 max sticks before calling for help)... I'll stick them numerous times, again I feel no pressure of any kind on myself, just pure curiosity... but I just leave them bleeding from multiple holes and with a bunch of massive hematomas. I wonder if I should just stop even trying, I'm just hurting my patients for no reason.

It's like anti-talent or something. I don't know anybody else who would try something so supposedly simple over a hundred times and still not learn how to do it. It's like a part of my brain responsible for whatever coordination/tactile feedback stroked out or something. It's like my hands are not my hands but some metal pincers I'm holding/using, I don't feel anything and I don't understand anything that's happening when I'm poking my patients. Just zero. Nothing. And yes, I've had it explained to me billion times how what I should feel, but I just don't.

[Have Nurse, ADN, RN]

I am not being unkind, but I am wondering.....have you had your vision checked?

[Workitinurfava, BSN, RN]

You are probably hitting the vein but your angle is wrong so the IV comes out of the vein.

[AnnieNP, MSN, NP]

Can you have someone help by using a butterfly set first, then when you get the hang of that the regular IVs should be easier.

[amoLucia]

Self-fulfilling prophecy - if you think you're going to fail before you start, then you prob will fail.

If you think positive that you'll get the IV in, then you'll prob succeed.

THINK POSITIVE!

[mushyrn, BSN, RN]

I sucked at IVs until I got my first one, then my second, and pretty quickly I was starting IVs on patients the "IV expert" couldn't get. My coworkers at my current job think I'm great at them and often call me for help, but I still miss, too.

I'm not sure exactly what would help in your situation. If they have really good veins, sometimes going in sideways is easier than from the top, because you might slice right through it doing it that way.

Also, manual BP cuffs are lovely assistants when starting IVs versus tourniquets.

[brownbook]

I wish you the best in getting over your IV problemas (Espanol for 'problems' :^) - and thanks for the humor too. I'm a bit anxious about this as well. Here's my situation: after several hospitals wouldn't hire me after graduating (because of course, I proved I was bad at learning by getting a BSN when I was over 50 :^), I got hired at a LTC/rehab place where I worked for 5 years (which is another story) and never had to start an IV.

Now I'm at a rehab place where I will need to do them, but not yet. Good thing I thought of downloading a couple of how-to-do-IV books into my Kindle app. Have read one and am 3/4 through the second one. I think that'll help a lot, but I'm sure I'll be nervous when it comes down to the real thing.

I really learned a lot watching You Tube videos.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

You are probably hitting the vein but your angle is wrong so the IV comes out of the vein.

That was my first thought that you are going from too steep an angle. IV's are my weak link too, but I can get them in when the patient has ropes for vein and once in a blue moon I get a hard stick by chance. I was spoiled because we used to have an IV team too, but TPTB got rid of them years ago to save money. I know who the IV experts are and stay on good terms with them when I need help. Otherwise, we just get PICCS or midlines ordered as so many frequent flyers are hard sticks anyway with tiny and/or scarred up veins. I wish I was better with IV's, but I avoid putting them in as I hate feeling like a failure when I miss. It also bothers me because I feel limited that I couldn't get a clinic job, usually the ones that still use RN's require IV skills and administer treatments like chemo or plasmapheresis.

[thoughtful21, BSN, RN]

Here are two articles that I like. Maybe they'll be helpful for someone else too!

35 IV Therapy Tips & Tricks for Nurses - NurseBuff

Six Techniques To Nail The IV Every Time

[NurseCard, ADN]

Sounds just like me. I swear I CANNOT start IV's. I just can't.

Can't.

I think part of the problem might be the particular IV catheters

that we use in our hospital. I don't like them. I'm not the only one.

After 15 years of being a nurse... 15 years... I'm just BAD at it.

I usually try to get someone else to do it.

[NurseCard, ADN]

I am not being unkind, but I am wondering.....have you had your vision checked?

I don't even use my eyes when I look for veins; I go totally by what I feel.

Is that part of MY problem? I wonder?

[pinoy27]

to be honest with yall this is what makes me worried if i'll be RN. I haven't done any IVs since in my job it's only RNs that are incharge for IVs. I currently work in skilled nursing facility. And the last and only IV i've inserted was when I was in nursing school which was long long time ago 2010. :/ I'm scared I might not be able to be successful inserting IVS

[/username, BSN, RN]

I stopped caring after like 20 fails after realizing this is just not one of my talents, I can't be good at everything. Not a technique issue,

I think this is the biggest problem and barrier for you to being successful in this skill. You don't care anymore, so you're not interested in trying to get better, and are really coming here to complain... You say it's not a technique issue, however, if you didn't have technique deficiencies, your accuracy would be approaching 100%.......

It appears that you don't practice super often by your description. Have you tried being the person to volunteer to start IVs on your unit? IV starts are a skill that need to be practiced and developed... I would also say that if you could do at least one attempt per shift, you will see your success rate climb rapidly. You could also see if you could work out with management going to an area like same day surgery, or a procedural area to do IV starts there and get lots and lots of practice.