HELP! Getting over queasiness during IV starts

Cassinia · May 25, 2005

:chuckle You'll definitely be around a lot of starts in nephrology and transplant. I use to get a little yucky feeling during certain procedures as a student. However, the only way I found out to overcome this was to expose myself to it as much as possible. The more I participated in what I didn't know or what got to me, the better I understood it and became good at it. If you can't overcome this, though, I would suggest looking into a different area. All I can say is just keep hanging in there and you'll eventually find you'll overcome it or realize it's not for you.

Brotherbob, BSN, RN · May 25, 2005

IV starts are 25% skill and 75% self confidence. Keep on doing as many as you can, the only way to get better.

Good luck, soon you will be the IV-queen!

PatrickJ · May 26, 2005

Volunteer to start all and any you can. Follow the two attempt rule, and if you do not succeed, let another try.

The poster who said 25 percent skill, 75 percent confidence is correct. Confidence comes with many tries.

One thing I have done is watch others, I have sat down with some and asked their best tricks. I am always confident in my attempts and hit more than I miss :chuckle But the learning continues for all things nursing for me.

One thing, remember, it hurts them more than it hurts you. When I had my CABG x3 recently, I remember volunteering to let those less skilled to try to get my iv started. A nurse, a female no less hehehe got me on the first stick.

I ended up with two iv sites in me, and another thingy to monitor me, I had more cotton pickin things in my veins.

You will do fine. Someday, rather soon I suspect, you will be helping others with their nerves on iv starts.

Patrick

lady_jezebel · May 26, 2005

I almost fainted trying to start an IV on my partner in nursing school. Also, I almost fainted in immunology class simply by listening to the instructor TALK about having to get our blood drawn. I almost always DID faint whenever my own blood was drawn. My fear of needles was my #1 obstacle in applying to nursing school -- I thought I would NEVER get over this fear, it was huge.

Now it's not even an issue. My fear disappeared, never to return. It comes from focusing on the skill of starting IV's -- just focus on the mechanics of doing it, and as others said, do as many as possible!!! Don't chicken out, just jump right in. You'll botch several, but eventually get it. The fear disappears as you gain confidence in the skill, honestly. And the ONLY way to gain confidence is to fail several times first -- so don't sweat it if you miss a few (or many) at first -- eventually, through practice, you'll get it.

Before doing the first, read the procedure in a skills book. Read it over and over again, and visualize yourself doing each step. Stay calm while doing this, breathe deeply, and go through the procedure mentally a few times. When you do your first IV, go slowly & just do the steps as you envisioned them. If you don't get it, just remain objective about it & see what you can learn from not getting it. View it as a learning process (which it is). Ask questions about technique from more experienced nurses -- and watch how they do it. Everyone has pointers (& their own style). Soon, you'll surprise yourself & actually look forward to starting IVs now and then.

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · May 26, 2005

THis is going to sound silly, but I used a technique I used with giving peds shots! LOL!

I thought about what I tell kids when I give them shots. "Now...we are part of a secret mission, we have to get these disease fighting molecules in this syringe in your body to help your white blood cell army and spys to defeat the enemy. The only way to do this is to sneek up on them...and this only takes a few seconds...are you ready for this mission???"

Now when I do shots or IV's I kinda giggle to myself and all is okay! Sometimes I will even tell the patient this story as I try and we both wind up giggling a bit more! Humor helps...

I also did ride alongs with paramedics and really learned how to do IV's! That was very very very helpful since we were NOT allowed in RN school to do IV's on eachother! Nope, my first was a patient! I also give myself two tries and I quit and I let my patient know this too so they know I am not doing 7 sticks (and I have a nurse back me up too in advance incase I need the help).

It is okay to get queezy...and recognizing it is very mature of you! Keep on working on it! You will get it!

Good luck!