Are you allowed to give IV push meds at clinicals? - page 2

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I always understood the policy at our school to be "you can only give IV push meds with a licensed person" UM I learned today that you can only give IV push with the instructor! :uhoh3: I was... Read More

  1. by belladelicious
    Apr 22, '04
    Occupation: future RN Joined: Oct '03; Posts: 113; Likes: 4
    We're not allowed to push iv meds, even if the instructor is with us. We're taught in skills lab, but that's it. When we start IVs the nurse or the instructor has to start the fluids, we're not supposed to adjust any fluid rate
  2. by twintoo
    Apr 22, '04
    Joined: Sep '03; Posts: 77; Likes: 1
    Quote from raynefall
    Look, there's no reason for you to get snippy okay? If you choose to post on a message board putting out your business then you will get various comments whether you came here for them or not!
    I wasn't being snippy, sorry it came out that way. I am sure you could imagine screwing up...knowing you screwed up...and your teacher knowing you screwed up. It's kind of a little stressful to say the least!
    Last edit by twintoo on Apr 22, '04
  3. by JudithL_in_NH
    Apr 22, '04
    Occupation: RN Specialty: School, Camp, Hospice, Critical Care ; Joined: Dec '02; Posts: 364; Likes: 17
    Oddly, our school policy is ABSOLUTELY no IV pushes. However, the clinical site I was at earlier in the semester DID allow students to do IV pushes--so the instructor allowed us to do them in her presence.

    She was adjunct faculty, and we pointed out to her several times that the school policy was really clear and that we shouldn't do pushes--and she had us do 'em anyway. I would think the school's policy should override a clinical site's policy, rather than the other way around.

    I did 'em, but boy was I careful :uhoh21: that I knew exactly what I was doing!
  4. by twarlik
    Apr 22, '04
    Occupation: RN Specialty: CICu, ICU, med-surg ; Joined: May '03; Posts: 652; Likes: 13
    That only things we can't do is hang blood or refill PCAs and PCEs. Everything else can be done with only the instructor present. Interesting how all these schools have such different policies.
    Twintoo, sorry to hear about your mistake. It happens and you certainly did learn something! Good luck with everything.
  5. by RedSox33RN
    Apr 22, '04
    Occupation: ED RN Specialty: Emergency Dept, M/S ; Joined: Jan '04; Posts: 1,462; Likes: 104
    It's interesting how all the different policies are so varied. I wonder what my school's policy will be.

    I'm sorry about it, Twin. You are very forthcoming about your mistake, and that should count for a lot.
  6. by raynefall
    Apr 22, '04
    Specialty: ER then CVICU now ; Joined: Jul '03; Posts: 93; Likes: 14
    Quote from twintoo
    I wasn't being snippy, sorry it came out that way. I am sure you could imagine screwing up...knowing you screwed up...and your teacher knowing you screwed up. It's kind of a little stressful to say the least!
    No problem....I can definitely relate.

    Peace :kiss
  7. by Altra
    Apr 22, '04
    Joined: Sep '03; Posts: 6,885; Likes: 12,485
    We can give IV push meds, beginning in the 3rd semester (after we've had a skills lab on IV meds). Our instructor has to be present, as for ALL meds. Our clinical groups are small - no more than 5 - so it doesn't slow down the flow.

    Sorry things went awry for you today, Twintoo. Next clinical day will be better!
  8. by patti101
    Apr 22, '04
    Occupation: student rn Joined: Apr '03; Posts: 31
    It totally depends on the instructor and how anal they are...if they watch & count the seconds with you or they say "go give it"...you know how it get's backed up with 8-9 students per clinical instructor. We do it all except administer chemo meds.
  9. by wonderbee
    Apr 23, '04
    Occupation: Nurse, of course Specialty: critical care; community health; psych ; Joined: Sep '03; Posts: 2,355; Likes: 621
    Wow, I'm sorry to hear about the boo-boo. And on your last clinical day too. That truly sucks. Perhaps your instructor will have slept on it before she gives her final evaluation. None of us is perfect and she may realize that you will never ever make that mistake again. I don't know what our policy is on IV push drugs. We just began giving injections and PO meds. Nothing IV so far but I will be certain to ask when I begin my second semester.
  10. by twintoo
    Apr 23, '04
    Joined: Sep '03; Posts: 77; Likes: 1
    You all are NOT going to believe this but I WAS RIGHT!!! You *can* give it with a licensed nurse. I got out my "official skills checklist" where I checked off on IV-pushes in skills lab! It says "CANNOT give unless instructor or licensed personnell is right by the student's side " (yes even the spelling mistake LOL) OMGoodness, I am SO excited I cannot express it!! She cannot dock my grade for this because I was RIGHT!!! OK, off to present it calmly to the instructor!! :hatparty:
  11. by RNKITTY04
    Apr 23, '04
    Occupation: Hospice Nurse Specialty: Rehab, Step-down,Tele,Hospice ; Joined: Sep '03; Posts: 355; Likes: 55
    Yes!! Run to her and show her the rules. Good luck for you. (Don't you love it when a student is occasionally right? hahhahha)
  12. by Kudra
    Apr 23, '04
    Joined: Mar '04; Posts: 169; Likes: 17
    good luck, twintoo!

    beth
  13. by colleen10
    Apr 23, '04
    Occupation: pre-nursing student, secretary - non-medical Joined: Jan '01; Posts: 1,761; Likes: 46
    Hi Twin Too,

    Sorry for your predicament. Did your instructor ever tell you that you are not to administer meds. without them present?

    I know in my program, in a way, we were sort of thrown to the wolves so to speak. No one ever outlined what we could or couldn't do in clinical and honestly, with my clincial instructor, what you did would have been ok if you had at least once given an IV push med. with her to ensure that you could do it correctly.

    Seems clinical "unsafes" are subject to the instructors interpretation and they vary widely in my program.

    Our instructor must be present when we administer scheduled meds. but with the prn meds. it's ok for us to give them with the nurse assigned to the patient. Usually though, I'll walk by my instructor and just run it by her and say that my patient has such and such a med. prn for pain and I'll give it with the nurse.

    I think sometimes nurses and instructors forget that we're new and eager to please everyone. Sometimes it's hard to figure out who to listen to when you have an instructor that you sometimes can't find, a nurse assigned to the patient a doctor and/or physical therapists, resp. therapists, etc. all giving advice and telling you what to do.

    Good luck and don't feel too badly about what happened, it's how we learn.

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