Do you use a venoscope?

yes, we have 3 venoscopes on the floor. this thing really comes in handy when your having trouble finding good veins, especially on the upper arm or shoulder/clavical area...turn all the lights off in the room strap on the scope with the velcro straps and even be able to start the iv in the dark, makes starting a virtually impossible iv possible; it's really an amazing invention!:w00t:

We have one for our floor. I love that thing. Really helps.

We have one, usually can't find it when we need it. I didn't find it all that helpful.

Any idea of the approximate cost or the companies that produce them?

This web site sells them for $175 and has good instructions on how to use them. Has anyone used them? Do they really help?

https://slacoste.powweb.com/content/veno_instructions.php

If it helps, it would be worth the money. I stink at IV's. I just now got a LED light and shined it on my own veins. It lit up only the veins I can already see. Of course, I only used the one LED. I think it said the venoscope had six.

good question beach mom.. I'd be willing to invest $175 to have my own piece of equipment if it really did work. I'm not a nurse yet and to be honest haven't even had a chance to start an IV in clinical yet (and I grad in May!) but this is a skill I really desire to become proficient at. We have mostly elderly pt on the floor I work and poor dears get stuck so many times because it's hard to get a good vein

I wouldn't recommend using your own money. IV starts are just something you do and only get better with practice. For me it depends on the kid as to whether I use it or not. If it is a big, well hydrated kid I usually don't use it. But if your patient has been vomiting all day it usually comes in handy to see more clearly if the vein is straight. Sometimes I start IVs by feeling the vein and nothing else. Practice, practice, practice.