Do RNs needs IV certification?

[AC439]

I have asked this questions but nobody seems to know the exact answer (some say yes other say no). I know LPNs need to have IV certification before they can do anything related to IV. But what about RNs? Do they also need IV certified or they can do all IVs fresh after they are licensed?

- Thanks, AC:)

[RN4NICU, LPN, LVN]

RNs can do all IVs right after licensure, they do not need additional certification.

Edited to add: RNs do need certification to administer chemotherapy to cancer patients, but that is not an IV certification so much as it is a chemo certification (if that makes sense).

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Agree with RN4NICU. IV therapy is built into the ciriculum of ADN and BSN program, so we can start right after licensure without need for certification.

[catlady, BSN, RN]

And yet I've worked in many places that would not allow me to touch an IV until I had completed their "IV certification," or could show documentation of a completed IV certification course.

[MadisonsMomRN, BSN, RN]

It should be in your scope of practice as an RN. Check out your Nurse Practice Act. I am most positive that you do not have to be certified.

[tvccrn, ASN, RN]

Those are the hospitals requirements, not licensure requirements. It's the facilities way of making sure you won't put them at risk especially if your are a new RN. It's kinda like the certification you have to go through every year for the blood glucose monitoring.

[SmilingBluEyes]

It really depends on where you work. Every place I have worked, we had to be certified competent by having IV starts observed and documented by preceptors/orientors on our Orientation Checklist.

[shadowflightnurse]

I agree with the above posts that it is built into the curriculum. The hospital has just instituted their own "in-house" policy, probably for CYA. It is similar to nurses doing intubations. In many states it is within a nurses scope of practice to intubate, if they've had appropriate training. However, most hospitals do not allow a nurse to intubate because of the expense of training, availability of MD's, CRNA's, or RRT's to intubate. A hospital can limit a nurses scope, but cannot expand it past the state's practice act.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

There are IV courses for LPNs.

There are IV/venipuncture courses for RNs given by individual facilities.

There is the official designation for nurses that pass an national certification for IV Nursing - a long process requiring certain amounts of specialized education (not general provided by a facility - usually given regionally), testing and a set number of experience hours, etc. This is a legally protected designation that is obtained by a few RNs, that usually work in very specific positions in IV therapy.

There are facility chemo courses with check offs.

There is an official ONS chemo course that does not "certify" a nurse to give chemo....but does indicate a certain level of chemo knowledge...and is considered "certification" in chemo by some facilities.

All of these are very different things. Please specify which one of which you are speaking.

Most RN programs teach IV/venipuncture skills. Some facilities (not all)require additional checkoffs before permitting RNs to exercise those skills. LPNs do not necessarily receive teaching of IV skills in school, thus most places have a more formal course for them to take if they will be working with IVs to "certify" them (still not the "legal" IV certification).

Neither one of these entitles one to use the legally protected title that belongs to the IV Certified nurse. They merely ensure that those caring for IVs have the facility's course behind them, or the local LPN IV course.

In addition, just because someone does have either the facility's course, or even the legally entitled IV certification, does not mean that they are "chemo" savvy or certified. That is a separate issue unto itself. There are also Oncology certified nurses that are not chemo "certified" or IV certified. All are separate issues.

[Darlene K.]

I believe it is included in the RN training. Although, years ago when I took my IV certification & Central line classes there were new RN in there as well.