So I start the ADN program in August and I am so beyond myself. I am so excited to start my journey!
I spoke to a co worker who is in the program that I will be in and was telling me ait about the program.
One thing kind of got my attention. He said we as students do not learn how to insert IVs. That is on job training. I always figured that's something every RN should know how to do, no?
He said that now there are IV teams in hospitals, so you don't need to know how to do it.
Just curious to know if our school is the only one who does this..
It's the same at our school--we don't start IVs. As others have said, this is because the hospital where we are doing clinicals has an IV team. So I suppose where you are doing clinicals has a lot to do with it. I'm actually really happy to be readying this! I had assumed that our school was short-changing us... :-/
Yes, we started tons of IV's while in nursing school. ADN. How else are you going to learn?! That plastic arm in lab is a great place to start, but you need real-life experience too! Part of the beauty of the ADN degree, IMO
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
So I start the ADN program in August and I am so beyond myself. I am so excited to start my journey!
*** Congrats! Nursing is a rewarding and challenging field.
I spoke to a co worker who is in the program that I will be in and was telling me ait about the program.
One thing kind of got my attention. He said we as students do not learn how to insert IVs. That is on job training. I always figured that's something every RN should know how to do, no?
*** Yes it is something every RN should know how to do as it is a very basic nursing task and was taught in nursing schools. Certainly in my school if a student didn't learn they didn't graduate.
He said that now there are IV teams in hospitals, so you don't need to know how to do it.
*** Some do, some don't. Either way the hospital must now train nurses to do basic nursing tasks. It's expensive and they resent it.
Just curious to know if our school is the only one who does this.
*** No it's not just your school. many nursing school are failing their students in a similar manner. Every new grad who is unable to find a job in a hospital should be complaining to their nursing school. Is it any wonder hospitals are so reluctant to hire new grads when the expence to train them keep going up as nursing schools fail?
We didn't learn them in my program, same issue I believe as dudette on a statewide level. I learned on the job and it was no big. IME, the skills I did have an opportunity to practice in clinical never came up enough to really be able to practice them well, anyway.
*** No it's not just your school. many nursing school are failing their students in a similar manner. Every new grad who is unable to find a job in a hospital should be complaining to their nursing school. Is it any wonder hospitals are so reluctant to hire new grads when the expence to train them keep going up as nursing schools fail?
Something to consider- in areas where nursing students aren't allowed to start IVs, hospitals don't expect students to have that skill coming in. Schools are bound by state regulations as well as the limitations hospitals place upon their students (I had clinical at a peds hospital that did not allow nursing students to take rectal temperatures, among other things). During my job hunt not once were specific skills a discussion during interviews- they all seemed much more concerned with my work ethic, personality, and teach-ability.
I have a coworker with a master's degree, has worked bedside for almost 20 years, has NEVER started an IV. Always worked somewhere with an IV team, has no interest in learning.
NY state RN nursing students learn to do IV insertions, in lab we get tested on it as a clinical skill and when opportunity arises in clinical we do insert em. It depends on clinical site, the nurse in charge etc on how much hands on experience we get to do .. so yes in theory i know how to do it but reality will I miss the vein the first few tries .. probably.
Starting IV's is not a critical skill you need to know as a new grad. It comes with time and practice. However, making discriminating judgements IS critical and school is supposed to prepare you for that, not technical skills that you can learn on the job because I can guarantee you, every institution has a different way of doing things.
*** Either way the hospital must now train nurses to do basic nursing tasks. It's expensive and they resent it.
*** No it's not just your school. many nursing school are failing their students in a similar manner. Every new grad who is unable to find a job in a hospital should be complaining to their nursing school. Is it any wonder hospitals are so reluctant to hire new grads when the expence to train them keep going up as nursing schools fail?
Once again, the REASON my school does not teach it is it is a hospital affiliated school in a VERY large hospital system, thus ALL of our clinicals are done in the system. And it is HOSPITAL policy in the system that NO students are to start IVs from any of the DOZENS of schools that rotate clinicals there. Thus where are we to get the clinical experience? And many of us from the school will work for this hospital system when we are done, I for one am signed up for tuition forgivness so owe them 2 years when I am done.
So the hospital is going to resent me not being trained to do something THEY did not allow me to be trained in?
Or be reluctant to hire because i lack a skill that THEY have demed to be something done "on the job" and want certified through them?
Really THAT is the reason why schools do not teach it......Lack of being allowed to practice on clinical.....not schools being lazy. And since many hospitals have that policy, most will understand. Yes maybe it will tick off small rural hospitals that have limited resorces and want you to know it coming in, or nurses that feel that "*I* learned it in nursing school so you should have too", but for the most part you would probably find it to be a non issue.
in my BSN program we were not allowed to start IVs in clinicals or on one another. They never taught us the skill at all, said it was something we would learn once hired. Our clinicals were done at several local hospitals so I'm not sure if it was state policy or university policy. I graduated 17 years ago.
WantAccel.BSN, BSN, RN
216 Posts
It's the same at our school--we don't start IVs. As others have said, this is because the hospital where we are doing clinicals has an IV team. So I suppose where you are doing clinicals has a lot to do with it. I'm actually really happy to be readying this! I had assumed that our school was short-changing us... :-/