Help me to do it

Mommy TeleRN, RN · May 18, 2007

Hajer... I just graduated and I haven't started a successful IV either (haven't had many tries though)

I too don't like the thought of causing pain..IVs definitely hurt But our patients need these IVs for life saving treatment. Sometimes medical treatment means we have to cause pain for the greater good to the patient. Remember all new nurses had to learn this skill!

Personally for me...knowing that it IS a painful procedure... I want to really perfect this skill over time. To do that I'm going to need a LOT of practice. Unfortunately you can only get that practice by doing it again and again. Watch some other nurses and learn their tips and techniques. Then volunteer to do everyone's IV starts! And have other nurses watch you and provide feedback for improving your skill. The hardest part I "think" anyway is finding a good vein. Try and not be nervous (I'm telling myself this too! lol) and take your time finding a good site and having all your materials ready. That way we can set ourselves up for being successful and hopefully getting it on the first try so that we reduce the trauma to the patient. Over time and with persistance and help from other nurses I believe we can all get this skill down! You can do it! I can do it! :nurse:

CVICURN2003 · May 18, 2007

iam an intern & i only have 2 weeks to start my elective area as CCU nurse but my problem is that till now i dont know how to do IV cannulation .i am really immparesing not to know such thing ,,,pleas help me i spend already 8 months while i am trying but iam always the faliure in my group ,,,i am realy depressed because i only cause pain each time to the patients with no benifets

I have been in ICU since I graduated in 2003. We usually have central lines or PICC lines and that is what they go to the floor with. I hate to start IV's I'm not good at them. I get the chance to do one every blue moon maybe, then I miss 50% time. I try once, then get a more experienced stick. We also have an IV team for hard sticks now too. I wish I could say that I could put one in with my eyes closed but I can't and in ICU putting in an IV is not something we do alot.

Don't be embarrassed.

ERRNTraveler, RN · May 18, 2007

Ask your manager if you can spend a day in the ER to practice your IV starts- we start TONS in the ER. Outpatient surgery would be a good place to spend a day "practicing" as well.

anonymurse · May 18, 2007

Ask the managers of any units in your hospital that do preop if you can get in lots of sticks early in the morning (your IV team might be able to match you with a helpful manager). At our hospital there's a manager who will give you all the sticks you can do in 30 to 60 minutes starting at about 0530, and she will make sure you get easy ones at first, and give you harder sticks as you progress. Also our lab honcho will let you come in during the day and do all the draws you can stand. Another idea is to find out when in-services are being given on IV starts and attend all you can. You will find out that everyone has their own bag of tricks, and if you listen and watch long enough, you'll be able to collect all the tricks you need to be good. Maybe you can even shadow an IV nurse.

miko014 · May 18, 2007

If you do have an IV or response team, see if you can go with them for a few hours. The ones at our hospital will take anyone for 4 hours, and they are great.

Also, we are allowed to go to endoscopy for 4 hours and start IVs on all the outpt procedures. That's good practice too. Problem is, the only way you can really "get the hang of it" is if you DO it. And don't worry, everyone misses sometimes. Even the specilaists miss once in awhile! Try not to be too nervous when you try to start an IV - if you go in thinking that you are going to miss, you probably will! Good Luck!

classicdame, MSN, EdD · May 18, 2007

Our hospital allows interns and new nurses to go to Same Day Surgery or ER to learn IV cannualtion. All you need is experience. It will come eventually.

Dorito, ASN, RN · May 18, 2007

Practice, practice, practice. Sometimes we send staff to outpatient surgery, endoscopy clinics etc and that's all they do is start IV's with other staff guiding them. You'll do fine. It took me a while to be pretty good at IV starts too- and now I haven't started one in several years and I'm sure I'd be pretty rusty. Hang in there.