OMG.Do Nursing students really practice on eachother??

[AspiringNurse7]

I entered "nursing school" on youtube and came across a few videos of nursing students practicing Iv's and injections on one another.I had no idea this was done in nursing school! What if a student makes a mistake and you get injured? Ok im being negative..But what if?? Are the students skillfull enough to practice on one another so early into the program??

[NuHappyRN]

When I was in nursing school the instructors had us practice on each other with injections (IM, SubQ, Sub-dermal) and with IVs in order to check off on our skills. It turned out fine for me but I don't know what happened with other students.

[SaderNurse05, BSN, RN]

We had to demonstrate our injection skills on OURSELVES.. I would have much rather had someone else give me an injection than stick myself in my own stomach:doh

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

Nothing with needles, nothing naked. They did start to have us practice NGs on each other, until one girl started coughing up blood. So that didn't quite work out.

Now, in the FNP and CNM/WHNP programs at my school, they practice pelvics on each other. The med students have paid models come in. If I start on this one, I'll hijack the thread, so I won't do that.

[DaFreak71]

Sim Man is for practicing skills on, not each other.

At the school I attend, we don't have a Sim Man. In fact, we don't have much equipment at all. We do have a disembodied arm on which to practice IV's, but we did practice bed baths (shorts/t-shirts) IM's, and SQ's. We were nervous, but we all did well.

I really wanted to practice NG insertion on a live person, so my friend in nursing school (he was a real trooper for sure!) came over to my house and let me do it on him. Of course the whole thing was supervised by my husband, who is an RN. It was a really cool experience. When he tried it on me, for some reason the tube would not pass, as if something was blocking it. So I didn't end up having it done on me, but he sure was brave.

[FutureNavyNrs]

We don't practice much on each other either - just the noninvasive stuff that we covered first semester - so vitals, bed baths, ADL's, restraints, turning, changing linens, etc. We also did blood glucose testing on each other, but that wasn't a big deal. We had the dummy arms for IV's and blood draws, mannequins for everything else. Clinicals is where you get to practice your skills, such as they are, on real people.

My friend is in a phlebotomist program at the local VoTech and she carries a card in her billfold that certifies that she's in the program because they practice on one another and her arms are so tracked up she looks like a junkie.

[Reno1978, BSN, RN]

We didn't do any invasive procedures, like IV starts or putting down a NG, but we did practice our assessment skills on one another. We did practice subcuteneous and intradermal injections on each other with saline, though.

[GilaRRT]

We did IV therapy, injections, and physical assessments on our fellow classmates. Cannot say I have any problems with that. Sim man is not a replacement for reality. I would not have a problem with bed baths, NG's and "full assessments."

[CyndieRN2007]

We practiced IV, blood draw, IM injection and NG tube insertion on each other. NO big deal.

[APBT mom, LPN, RN]

At the school I go to the only thing that we've done on a person is head to toe and vitals. We stuck ourselves for the blood glucose. We aren't allowed to do anything invasive but they offer other programs where they do blood draws and injections. The school I went to previously we were able to draw blood and give injections. IMO doing and injection or a blood draw is no where near doing it to a person. Especially when the arm is so old you don't have to mark where you're going to stick.

[ERGirl83]

The first time around, we did IM injections on each other, assessments, moving patients, BP's/vitals, moving gurneys, positioning, walking assistaints/gait belts on each other. But not IV's or venipuncture or other invasive or potentially embarassing procedures (foley caths, bed baths, etc) It wasn't that bad at all....It'll be interesting to see how the new school does things.

[Adenium]

In most of these cases where you do practice on each other, are you allowed to refuse? Or is there a limit?

I just had to get blood drawn yesterday for the first time in a year or so, and it was just as much of a nightmare as I've had before (I went in foolishly optimistic, thus sadly without numbing cream - smacks forehead). Two people, 4 sticks before they got it - I had tears welling up and was ready to break out of the chair. Hand was throbbing for 3 hours after.

In college they had such trouble in one appointment that I had to leave after getting holes poked in my arms, hands, and feet. Came back in two days showered, fed, hydrated, with a hot towel over my arm and a relaxant in my tummy. Still took two people and several tries, and hurt like hell. So I can just see instructors saying "ooh, what a great opportunity to practice a tough stick!!"

At this point, given many traumatic draws, the anticipation and fear alone would make even a decent stick painful for me. I guess I'd be stocking up on EMLA cream and praying.

[FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I]

I think that practicing on a dummy is nothing

like the real thing :)

How true. I was used to giving injections. I had pygmy goats that I had to inject at different times.