just a little vent

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Pediatric Critical Care Columnist

NotReady4PrimeTime, RN

5 Articles; 7,358 Posts

Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

Glad I could help! These tips work really well on squirming screaming little ones, so you should be able to use them quite well with your (generally) cooperative and well-hydrated adult OB patients.

PANurseRN1

1,288 Posts

Specializes in Day Surgery/Infusion/ED.

This is the kind of post that saddens me. The worst time to try to get practice starting an IV is in an emergency situation. Shame on those co-workers who wouldn't help you.

Is there any possibility you could spend the day in outpatient surgery. I work there (as well as ED) and we start TONS of IVs every day. You'd get plenty of practice on relatively healthy people in a non-emergent situation.

Good for you for pushing past your anxiety and doing the IV. As far as connecting and taping, that's something you just develop over time. Everyone has his/her own way of doing it. It's funny, I can always tell who started an IV I'm D/C'ing just by how it's taped...kind of like a signature.

KellNY, RN

710 Posts

Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.

Now, I'm not advocating this ::cough cough:: but I did my 1st three IV starts (including the wacky taping) on #1-My boyfriend at the time #2 My sister #3 My father.

jjjoy, LPN

2,801 Posts

I feel your pain. To hear "just do it" when you don't know what to do just sucks! A little sympathy can go a long way for me. And a very patient person to talk me through it.

Another way to practice the juggling part of advancing the catheter and taping it down is to start an IV on a banana. Start it on the rounded side. It won't lie flat on a table so you have to keep a good hold it on like you would on a person. It gives that similar all thumbs feeling. And you can poke it again and again with the same used equipment.

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