Help im having IV problems

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Nov 23, 2010

I am the same, I have only tried 3 times but I get my flash and placement but when I go to advance the cath I blow it. My neighbor is an IV team member and is going to work with me. It is very discouraging. I got my Blood draw the first time (well only tried once) but not the IV. I tried twice on my CI and blew the vein, but she demonstrated on me and blew mine too (I am a really hard stick) so I told her it was a vein for a vein. lol

missbutton · Nov 23, 2010

Are you starting your Ivs on little old people? I'm a new nurse and I was having a terrible time starting Ivs. I had the same problem you describe, getting the flash but then blowing it. I stopped using tourniquets. I use heat, gravity, alcohol, and a bp cuff for a tourniquet if I'm really desperate. Those rubber tourniquets are just too harsh for the elderly's veins.

Nobody is good after five starts, be kind to yourself...

bsyrn, ASN, RN · Nov 23, 2010

try this, after getting the initial flash continue to insert the angio cath (needle still intact) just slightly further before advancing the plastic cath. sometimes you just aren't quite far enough into the vein after the initial flash. :nurse:

MassED, BSN, RN · Nov 23, 2010

keep the needle in and advance a tad bit more through that bifurcation. Sometimes you have to pull back and readvance.

nyrn5125 · Nov 23, 2010

You have to feel it.Where you want to stick them try to go up and follow the vein with your finger. you may feel it at the insertion site but if it doesn't feel like it extends up then it may be a bad vein. look everywhere for a good one,the antecub basilic cephalic, back of arm,forearm,at wrist on thumb side. Find the best vein and not just the obvious ones. Make sure vein is anchored well enough so the squiggliest vein can be straightened. When you get blood return go a little further with the needle. When you think you blew the vein try pulling back a bit then go up again. you'll find after doing lots of them you get to be great at it. takes practice

Good Luck

gropos01 · Nov 23, 2010

thank all of you. this is really good advice well give it a try and ill do a follow up thanks

Noimanurse · Nov 24, 2010

Experience, Experience, and Experience when dealing with IV's, dummy arms in the lab don't count, having an instructor breathing down your neck and holding your hand doesn't count. If possible find someone well experienced in the hospital and good at explaining their procedure for IV's, watch them a few times, and take some mental notes. After that do every IV possible, get the experience, if you are unsure on which vein to go with, ask someone experienced. No offense, but 5 IV's is nothing compared to what a nurse or especially an emergency staff will do throughout their career or even in a day. Its all about experience and learning from others. I know you are in training on the emergency side of things, but one suggestion I would have is to take your time. Also, use your family and friends as guinea pigs/homework, you don't need a needle, just grab their arm and start feeling, you surely have some old, young, sick, healthy mixture of people you know...check out their arms. Soon you will start realizing 2 or 3 good spots that just about everyone has. Hang in there, it gets easier.

sunnycalifRN · Nov 24, 2010

try this, after getting the initial flash continue to insert the angio cath (needle still intact) just slightly further before advancing the plastic cath. sometimes you just aren't quite far enough into the vein after the initial flash.

this is good advice! just advance 1/16 on a inch, after getting the initial flash, then you should be able to advance the cath. if you advance too much further, you risk going through the other vein wall, which often "blows" the vein.

as others have said, practice is everything . . . 5 starts is better than none, but when you've got 50 or 100 under your belt, you will have iv insertion mastered.