Published
I think it depends on your school. We don't practice anything (other than assessment) on each other. It is against our school's policy to practice an invasive procedure on each other.
Once we learn a skill in lab(on a dummy), then we can do that skill on a patient in the hospital.
Good luck to you!!!
The only thing we got to do to each other was to practice a head to toe assessment, minus breasts and genitals. we also used dummies to do everything else on. I would prefer to start IVs on each other, I dont believe that you can get good practice finding a vein on a dummy.
Sue LPN
4th out of 5 semesters for the big RN
We only did a head to toe assessment on each other--no breasts or genitals though. We will be doing no invasive procedures on each other. We practice on dummies then do it on a patient when the chance arises. I thought that our instructors said it had to do with accreditation, but OSHA makes sense too. Whatever the case, I would be highly upset if a student nurse had to attempt to start their first IV on me. Heck--the people at the blood bank can't stick me, I seriously doubt a SN could.
kats
293 Posts
I have been reading a novel by an author named P.D. James. It is called "Shroud for a Nightengale." It is a mystery that takes place in a nursing school in England. The first person murdered is a student that is pretending to be a patient for a demonstration. They insert a gastric tube into her and give her warm milk. Unfortunately, it also apparently has poison in it too that someone put into the milk. I know that nursing students have to practice giving shots, drawing blood, taking temperatures, bps, pulse, etc. on one another. I was just wondering if you really have to actually have a gastric tube inserted as well. I really hope not. That would not be pleasant at all, even without the poison. I was also wondering what other uncomfortable procedures if any, nursing students have to endure. I figure it would be better to know than to spend the next year worrying about the unknown. Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences.
Kimberly