How did you learn IV Push technique

romansten9 · Sep 22, 2006

Could you be more specific? There is technique involved in knowing the proper drug, dose, patient, allergies, expiration date, drawing up technique, filter needle or not, expelling air, cleaning the port, pinching the line, fast or slow push of the med, documenting outcomes, etc, etc. What exactly are you trying to find out?? :)

firstyearstudent · Sep 22, 2006

We were told to look the med up in our drug book and see how to administer it. Then to clean the port with an alcohol swab and to make sure the connector on the syringe does not get contaminated.

Bonny619 · Sep 22, 2006

I seem to be doing Protonix pushes all the damn time, lol.

mamason · Sep 22, 2006

I would follow your unit guidelines. This info should be available upon request. Find a current and "up to date" drug guide book and look the particular drug up. Follow the guidelines about how to administer that certain drug. Ask your instructors how they administer the drug. Ask fellow nursing staff how they administer the drug. If you have concerns about administering a certain drug. Ask before you give it. It is your responsibility to administer medications in a safe manner. Hope this helps you. Good Luck. :nurse:

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Sep 22, 2006

i can't remember being taught this in nursing school. we weren't allowed to do much with iv's as a student except hang and regulate their flow. i can tell you how i give iv pushes now based on what i've learned over the years.

i pull up a chair. that's number 1, so my back doesn't get tired. i also put my watch with it's second hand where i can clearly see it. i push the medication into the patient by one or two incremental markings on the syringe per every 30 seconds or every minute. i base that on how fast i can push the entire amount of medication in. so, that's what? about 1/10 to 2/10ths of a cc at a time. i never rush it. it's better to go slower than faster. i do the same with the flush that follows the instillation of the medication since the flush is pushing in the last of the medication that remains in the iv tubing (if you are pushing the med into iv tubing).

i have a link to a pharmacy website that has a chart of the commonly given iv push meds and how fast they can be given. print it out because you never know when these things get taken off the internet.

http://www.musc.edu/pharmacyservices/pnp/f23.pdf - this iv push medication policy from medical university of south carolina includes a two page chart at the end which lists iv push medications and how fast they are to be administered.

Carla25 · Sep 22, 2006

I mean actually pushing it. Like you have 5 mL to push in 5 minutes I know you push 1 mL per minute, but do you push by the little calibrations or just go ahead and push one mL count 60 sec. push another mL count 60 sec.....etc

The reason I am asking is my teacher told us to push each calibration every so many seconds what you calculated and to me that is a little difficult.

Thanks

Future_Nurse_Natalie · Sep 23, 2006

We were taught to push each incriment in 15 second intervals. 1 minute seems too long to wait with each push unless otherwise indicated. Make sure if it's compatible with a running IV or if you have an INT, make sure you flush before and after, with your after flush being at the same rate as your med (2mL's each time). Remember to pinch and flush at the same time with a compatible running IV and with an incompatible, pinch, flush, keep pinching while giving med, flush same rate as med, release tubing.

Hope this helps! :monkeydance:

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Sep 23, 2006

I mean actually pushing it. Like you have 5 mL to push in 5 minutes I know you push 1 mL per minute, but do you push by the little calibrations or just go ahead and push one mL count 60 sec. push another mL count 60 sec.....etc
The reason I am asking is my teacher told us to push each calibration every so many seconds what you calculated and to me that is a little difficult.
Thanks

Then, if each calibration is 1/10th of a cc I would push 1/10th of a cc, or one calibration, every 6 seconds over a 5 minute period. That's why I pull up a chair and keep my watch where I can see it. There's no short cuts here. I do this for the patient, not for myself.

Achoo!, LPN · Sep 23, 2006

Slow and steady, don't push, stop, push stop etc.. also check your med book to see how long to push the med. I had to push Dilantin over 4 minutes. It seemed like forever.

Altra, BSN, RN · Sep 23, 2006

I mean actually pushing it. Like you have 5 mL to push in 5 minutes I know you push 1 mL per minute, but do you push by the little calibrations or just go ahead and push one mL count 60 sec. push another mL count 60 sec.....etc
The reason I am asking is my teacher told us to push each calibration every so many seconds what you calculated and to me that is a little difficult.
Thanks

If that is what your instructor specified, then is what you'll have to do right now. Spend some time in your skills lab or see if you can take home a syringe or 2 to practice.