Needle Fears are going to waste the $30,000+ I spent on TUITION

[NursingChick21]

I am a senior in the College of Nursing at the University of Iowa. I've got one semester left of clases, and one semester left of internship- then I'm out on my own and pray I can find a job that will be compensating of my phobias.

Sadly, I've always wanted to become a nurse- I was hospitilized at a young age, and always wanted to put myself into the helping role.

However, I can not stand to hurt patients. Recently, I began fainting anytime I even THINK of venipunctures. I managed to start a few IVs in the past, but ended up blowing the vein on a little frail old lady, and have lost all confidence since! I'm really worried that I won't feel confident in interviews or feel competent enough to perform in a real setting.

Does anyone have ANY advice? All of my classmates seem to be fine with this sort of thing, or so they say, making me feel even worse about my disposition. Do you think hospitals will expect to invest a fair amount of training in new nurses, or is this something I should be expected to have dealt with on my own by the time I'm hired?

Any guidance would be much appreciated!!

[mugwump]

Simply not wanting to hurt a patient can kill them. That is the simple short answer. You are not doing them any favors. I understand not wanting to hurt them. Byt if they are in the hospital and want treatment antibiotics, pain meds they need an iv. Granted it is possible to get a job where "sticking" people doesn't happen but even usually you need some experience and need to be able to start an IV and draw labs, keep practicing talk with your instructer. "Feel the fear and do it anyway" was my instructors motto

[kcalohagirl]

True story: I hate being stuck. I had to go through 2 series of Rabies shots when I was 7, with blood draws, etc. One of the nurses was really rough, not empathetic, etc. That has colored my views about sticks to this day.

When we were checking off on Accuchecks for diabetes in lab during nursing school, I could not even make myself hold my own finger still to stick myself with the little tiny stylet. I kept flinching and missing myself. My instructor commiserated with me for a second, grabbed my hand in a death grip and stuck me so I could put the strip in the machine. I laugh about it now, but I still don't know if I could do it.

Just remember: It is WAY better to be on the dull side of the needle. LOL. Most patients (not all, but most) realize that you are hurting them a little to help them a lot. IV's lab draws, etc are a learned skill. Lots of hospitals have IV teams now, so floor nurses don't start IVs as frequently as you might imagine. I don't think I've started one in the last 3 months.

When you do have to start an IV, don't rush. Take your time. Look for the best vein, not the first one you see. Once you find that vein, take your time again. Brace it so it doesn't roll, depend on your sense of touch as much as sight. Take a deep breath.

And if you miss it, you miss it. Even the IV team doesn't get them all the time. One of my most self-satisfied moments ever was when the IV team had missed my pt 4 times (pre-kidney transplant, the veins can suck!) and through some miracle, I got the first one I tried. That doesn't make me good, just lucky in that instance, but as your self-confidence grows, your hands will get a little steadier and your success rate will improve.

You can do it! Believe me. I had my doubts about myself, too.

Keep us posted, okay? And if you ever need a pep talk, there are a gazillion nurses here that are willing to help!

Oh yeah, and one more thing. As I've been reading the different threads here, there are some nursing schools that never even let their students "experiment" on a real live human. So you are ahead of the game by even giving it a try in the clinical setting. . . .

[CRNI-ICU20]

AWWW! Don't be so hard on yourself....there's plenty of people lined up outside the door willing to do that for free!!

If you can, ask either an IV therapy nurse to let you shadow him/her for a day or two....just OBSERVE.....come in on your own time....

Then....start IV's on people you know have pretty good veins....ie palpable, visible...good tissue surrounding, etc....

Do a few of those....so you get the "feel" of it....

Then, after a few of these, you will be ready to increase your skill level....

about 99% of IV skills is EDUCATE THE BRAIN....read all you can; go on line and read what "tricks" of the trade work for many in the field....

stay within your hospital's policy when you incorporate those same tried and true techniques into your own practice...

Soon enough, you'll be the GO TO person when an IV is needed....

Don't give up....you have the right spirit about you....go take care of the sick like you have been trained to do....

crni

[autumleaves]

learning to start iv's is a skill that comes with practice. not everyone that comes straight out of nursing school is able to start iv's or the other skills that are required.

my very first iv i went to start went like this;

elderly male pt with great veins, i was confident but as soon as i started to make my stick, he said boo! and i jumped and couldn't even hold my own hand still from shaking so bad. he laughed because he knew i was a student. ok, i braced myself tried a second time and he did the exact same thing again. i lost all my confidence and had a feeling i would never be able to start iv's.

fast forward to my very own first pt after getting out of school, passing boards. little tiny fraile lady, paper thin skin and veins so tiny that none of my co-workers wanted to try getting an iv site.

i went in, told her i was going to start an iv and if after 2x i would get someone else. well i was able to get it on 1 stick and she said it was the very first time thatan iv didn't hurt!! so how's that for being confident!!

now when no one elses wants to start an iv, guess who they call? yep me, i found the only way to keep my skills up is to practice and keep confident.

i never hurry and take my time. also if for some reason i can't get an iv after 2x. i stop and let someone else try. there are times that i can't get one and you will have days like that everyone does.

so keep you chin up, and read everything you can find on iv therapy, watch others when they start iv's and above all keep that" i don't want to hurt my pt attitude"

best of luck and please keep in mind, starting iv's, putting in foley's, ngt are skills that come with practice.

hope this helps!

what good advice!!!