Worried About I.v.'s

Nurses General Nursing

Published

here in CA, there is a push for LVN's to be able to hang i.v. meds. i'm not worried about my job, i'm worried that i will be asked to supervise any number of LVN's while they hang i.v. meds, most without the knowledge base to know proper doses, proper uses (micro),. infiltration, phelbitis, drugs that need to be diluted (K), drugs very hard on the veins....etc. etc. etc.....if hanging i.v. meds is just about programming the pump (as some of my pt. think), then why don't we just let the pt. hang their own. ....am i wrong to want to keep i.v. meds something that just rn's can do. worried about my license hanging on more than one lvn, as they go about doing a highly skilled job. thoughts. p.s. i love the lvn's that i team lead, and i am not a control freak, and i realize that there are highly educated lvn's out there.....i just worry about my license.....

Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Originally posted by Jay-Jay

This is scary!! In Ontario, RPN's (registered practical nurses) are allowed to give hydration therapy. When I was last in for surgery, the RPN was running the IV at 125 an hour. She did have orders to decrease it to KVO when/if I was drinking and peeing well. I had to BEG her to decrease it as I was going into fluid overload (borderline hypertensive, AND losing control of my overloaded bladder!) I think an RN would have had the judgement skills to have reduced it WITHOUT being asked.

RPN's/LVN's giving IV meds, esp. IV push meds?? Scares the daylights out of me!! :o

I would hate to see this thread turning into THAT debate so I'll just say-I have worked with several NURSES whom were seriously lacking in common sense....
Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Originally posted by Jay-Jay

This is scary!! In Ontario, RPN's (registered practical nurses) are allowed to give hydration therapy. When I was last in for surgery, the RPN was running the IV at 125 an hour. She did have orders to decrease it to KVO when/if I was drinking and peeing well. I had to BEG her to decrease it as I was going into fluid overload (borderline hypertensive, AND losing control of my overloaded bladder!) I think an RN would have had the judgement skills to have reduced it WITHOUT being asked.

RPN's/LVN's giving IV meds, esp. IV push meds?? Scares the daylights out of me!! :o

I would hate to see this thread turning into THAT debate so I'll just say-I have worked with several NURSES whom were seriously lacking in common sense....

I don't necessesarily think that an RN, just because he/she has those initials, would have know to slow down the I.V. Every LPN that I know has to go through an IV course just like the RNs do. Where I live IV Therapy is not a part of the RN education, it is taught by the facility the nurse works at.I know RNs who cannot touch an IV because they are not certified. RN or LPN, I think IV therapy is a skill that can and should be taught to both.

I don't necessesarily think that an RN, just because he/she has those initials, would have know to slow down the I.V. Every LPN that I know has to go through an IV course just like the RNs do. Where I live IV Therapy is not a part of the RN education, it is taught by the facility the nurse works at.I know RNs who cannot touch an IV because they are not certified. RN or LPN, I think IV therapy is a skill that can and should be taught to both.

I don't think you are giving enough credit to LPN's. Obviously training will be required...doesn't scare me at all. Don't want to debate RN vs LPN...

I don't think you are giving enough credit to LPN's. Obviously training will be required...doesn't scare me at all. Don't want to debate RN vs LPN...

Originally posted by Jay-Jay

This is scary!! In Ontario, RPN's (registered practical nurses) are allowed to give hydration therapy. When I was last in for surgery, the RPN was running the IV at 125 an hour. She did have orders to decrease it to KVO when/if I was drinking and peeing well. I had to BEG her to decrease it as I was going into fluid overload (borderline hypertensive, AND losing control of my overloaded bladder!) I think an RN would have had the judgement skills to have reduced it WITHOUT being asked.

RPN's/LVN's giving IV meds, esp. IV push meds?? Scares the daylights out of me!! :o

:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Jay-Jay

This is scary!! In Ontario, RPN's (registered practical nurses) are allowed to give hydration therapy. When I was last in for surgery, the RPN was running the IV at 125 an hour. She did have orders to decrease it to KVO when/if I was drinking and peeing well. I had to BEG her to decrease it as I was going into fluid overload (borderline hypertensive, AND losing control of my overloaded bladder!) I think an RN would have had the judgement skills to have reduced it WITHOUT being asked.

RPN's/LVN's giving IV meds, esp. IV push meds?? Scares the daylights out of me!! :o

:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Jay-Jay

This is scary!! In Ontario, RPN's (registered practical nurses) are allowed to give hydration therapy. When I was last in for surgery, the RPN was running the IV at 125 an hour. She did have orders to decrease it to KVO when/if I was drinking and peeing well. I had to BEG her to decrease it as I was going into fluid overload (borderline hypertensive, AND losing control of my overloaded bladder!) I think an RN would have had the judgement skills to have reduced it WITHOUT being asked.

RPN's/LVN's giving IV meds, esp. IV push meds?? Scares the daylights out of me!! :o

Sorry, but being a nurse, a lpn, if I even thought I was hypertensive an in fluid overload and the nurse would not kvo me, I would do it myself.

Originally posted by Jay-Jay

This is scary!! In Ontario, RPN's (registered practical nurses) are allowed to give hydration therapy. When I was last in for surgery, the RPN was running the IV at 125 an hour. She did have orders to decrease it to KVO when/if I was drinking and peeing well. I had to BEG her to decrease it as I was going into fluid overload (borderline hypertensive, AND losing control of my overloaded bladder!) I think an RN would have had the judgement skills to have reduced it WITHOUT being asked.

RPN's/LVN's giving IV meds, esp. IV push meds?? Scares the daylights out of me!! :o

Sorry, but being a nurse, a lpn, if I even thought I was hypertensive an in fluid overload and the nurse would not kvo me, I would do it myself.

back to the argument that there is much much more to i.v. therapy than there is to being i.v. certified. i.v. certification means that one observes proper technique when starting an i.v. line. running i.v. meds is another story. as far as teaching someone the skill of running i.v. meds, ok, start with pharmo, then take micro, a and p, then and only then do i truly believe that one can have the big picture.....also, study the effects of drugs on the renal system, and the liver....oh my, does this sound like the r.n. curriculum,,,,,bingo.....like i said, it's a lot more than just programming the pump. as far as pt. doing their own i.v. therapy, no guess work there...doctor orders the meds..they hang them. in our area an rn comes by once a day to check the site.

back to the argument that there is much much more to i.v. therapy than there is to being i.v. certified. i.v. certification means that one observes proper technique when starting an i.v. line. running i.v. meds is another story. as far as teaching someone the skill of running i.v. meds, ok, start with pharmo, then take micro, a and p, then and only then do i truly believe that one can have the big picture.....also, study the effects of drugs on the renal system, and the liver....oh my, does this sound like the r.n. curriculum,,,,,bingo.....like i said, it's a lot more than just programming the pump. as far as pt. doing their own i.v. therapy, no guess work there...doctor orders the meds..they hang them. in our area an rn comes by once a day to check the site.

+ Add a Comment