First Venipuncture..........ugh

Nurses General Nursing

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Today was the first day I tried inserting an IV. The nurse educator took us to the ER since we would have more there than the floor. Well well, boy is it drastically different from those dummy arms. The first victim I had was a 93 yo womem with one vein that I could work with. Well you can pretty much guess what happen. Of course it was unsuccessful. The second was an 96 yo women that was severely dehydrated. Her veins wouldn't even pop up a bit. While the other nurses got patients in their 20's. I just wished I could of gotten one IV inserted today. I felt so imcompetent. :o

Care to share your first venipuncture story....

:imbar

Don't feel incompetent...your first "victims" weren't exactly good practice...it can be hard for *anyone* to get a line in the elderly and/or dehydrated!

You'll get another chance soon...the more you do it, the more confidence you'll get! :D

The first one I "got" was on a mom about to deliver: young, fluid overloaded, dang vein virtually jumped onto the catheter.

It's just a matter of practice, luck, skill, the phase of the moon, and, for me, an empty bladder.

Keep at it, some day you will be the best with a start like that. If they'll let you, go down to the lab and practice drawing blood, it is a short step from drawing blood to placing an IV, that is how I learned back when the dinosaurs still roamed the earth.

Jon

Specializes in MS Home Health.

Don't give us. All of us have times we just can't get in! Molly wow I bet that was trip the patient waking up...........wow

renerian

When I worked in the SICU, a med student stuck a guy in a coma and he woke up just like Molly's pt. Everyone kept asking her to heal us, it was hilarious in a SICU nurse kinda way.

Pappy

I personally feel that your educator selected inappropriate patients for you to learn IV insertion on, both for you and the patient. IV insertion is a skill that is learned. You need to start a few IVs on patients who aren't so difficult to get some confidence as well as experience. Then move on to the more difficult patients. It's not fair for you or the patient.

I agree that we all have what I call "humility days" when we just can't seem to start an IV, but to start a nurse out on two 90 plus year old patients for her first IV attempts on patients is wrong. Even if the veins are visible, they tend to be more friable and frequently rupture even if the catheter is inserted correctly. I would frequently let down the tourniquet before making the venipuncture to minimize the risk of vein rupture. It seemed to help most of the time.

I was an IV preceptor in the ER for many years and we were selective on what patients the students were allowed to "practice" on. If they had one good vein, an experienced nurse, or perhaps a student with several IVs under his/her belt were the ones to start the IV.

Keep at it. As you have successes, your confidence will increase. Your skills will also improve and you'll be starting IVs on the older patients and those with difficult veins.

Chuck

Awwwww...........you guys are the best. Thanks for the support everyone~~!!!

Molly and JonRN-I can't believe that happened to you guys. Both you and the pt must of been startled. Hey.....at least they cam out of the coma. Keep healing guys~!! hehehe

I just wanted to say that i only got to attempt 3 or 4 iv sticks in nursing school and didnt get one of them. I got my first i.v. last month (i started working july 4th.) and i attempted one today that i just about had, but the vein blew. i soo hate when that happens... i guess what they say is true- it comes with practice! good luck to ya!!

I don't think your instructor could've made a worse choice for your first stick, but maybe there wasn't anyone else? Dehydrated geriatric patients are tough for experts! I too got my experience doing venipuncture for my doctor and I got really good at it! I had scared pts come in and actually request me to do their monthly bloodwork! Made me feel great. Once you get the feel for going into the vein, it's a piece of cake! Please don't be discouraged. We all have days like this! Take the advice of the nurse that told you to step up to the plate and try again. The instructors know that you're nervous and they'll respect the students who really want to learn and are willing to keep trying. Hope you get a better patient next time.....

:imbar

Specializes in Nurse Anesthetist.

I learned to draw blood from HIV+ IV drug users; they walked me thru each stick. Most of them were homeless at the LA Mission; I did community health rotation there. (Never did tell my instructor). My only IVs have been on kids. I do PICU and have gotten pretty good at even 24 g angiocaths! I wonder what it would be like to use a 16g. Maybe like inserting a hose!

Yeah Quiigley, I was always told that's the pts you do listen to because they know what veins they've blown, etc....Also, you must be pretty good if you're doing kids in PICU! Also, I went to nsg school in Merced, California.

I thought everybody took home I.V. supplies and practiced on oranges and husbands, friends, co-students. All of us did .... we had a weekend to come back & start stickin pre-ops. We were the IV Team !! :)

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