How to Become IV certified.

[Jgun359]

Hello,

I am a certified CNA, wrapping up my first year of nursing school. As is becoming the standard, I am not going to be IV trained during this program (I guess it normally happens as an on the job training now days). I'm looking into becoming IV certified over the summer, but have no idea where one can acquire such certification or what requirements it may have. Any input is helpful! By the way, I live in Minneapolis mn.

Thanks!

Joseph Gundlach

[IVRUS, BSN, RN]

Wow... getting appropriate education on IVT isn't going to help someone start IV's, huh... When you teach IV therapy, hands on activities are naturally a part of the process, but 30 hours adequately teaches one what one needs to know to start an IV successfully and with the best patient outcomes.

This is why nurses are essentially clueless, because they think they already know it all and refuse to be educated any further.

Now, I'm sure many of you can share expertise in your own specialty, wound care, diabetes management etc... and I learn from you too.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

Not teaching IVs in nursing school is not "becoming the norm." It depends on which program you choose and I would definitely NOT choose a program that doesn't cover such a fundamental nursing skill.

*** I agree. I work in a large hospital in Minneapolis and we certainly expect our new grads to come to use competent in the most basic of nursing skills (like IV and labs for example). I precept many students from Twin Cities area nursing schools and they are being taught basic skills in nursing school. If I were you I would be far mroe demanding of the school you are paying for.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

FYI When I say "competent" I don't just mean the actual insertion of IVs. I mean the nurse should understand why we use different size IV for different patients and what size IV is appropiate for what patient / therapy and understand the different IV fluids and know why patients are getting the fliuds ordered and what fluids would be contraindicated.

[drowningdaily]

My nursing program did not permit starting iv's. Theory was taught, but it was not hands on. We were told that is how it is in NJ. I have heard of many students having the same experience. That is why I stressed about it in the beginning. Like all skills, the more you practice, the better you get.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

My nursing program did not permit starting iv's. Theory was taught, but it was not hands on. We were told that is how it is in NJ. I have heard of many students having the same experience. .

*** Is it any wonder that hospital are so reluctant to hire new grads? They are very expensive to train and having to teach basic nursing skills in a addition to everyhing else only increases the cost.

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

*** Is it any wonder that hospital are so reluctant to hire new grads? They are very expensive to train and having to teach basic nursing skills in a addition to everyhing else only increases the cost.

It's regional. So yes, it would be surprising to find this a factor in areas where students are not allowed to practice IV skills in clinicals. And in my experience, the expectation is that it's a skill new grads will need to be taught. You say it's still taught in Minneapolis; well, if you ever relocate to Philadelphia, you'd find that schools don't teach it and the hospitals don't allow students to practice this skill in clinical.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

It's regional. So yes, it would be surprising to find this a factor in areas where students are not allowed to practice IV skills in clinicals. And in my experience, the expectation is that it's a skill new grads will need to be taught.

*** I can tell you that when I interview a new grad for a position (as a member of a committee who makes recomendations to the unit manager) we assume that as a graduate of nursing school they have been taught basic nursing skills. I would wonder what other basic nursing skills were left out of their program and just how much it was going to cost us to teach those too.

You say it's still taught in Minneapolis;

*** I don't precept students from every nursing program in the area so I can't speak for every program and don't intend to. I precept students from two community college ADN programs and one private BSN program. I expect them to understand things like what is an appropiate IV catheter size for the intended use (let's say administration of IV amioderone vs fluid resuscitation vs administration of PRBCs), what IV fluids would be contraindicated for certain patients (for example D5W in a patient with cerebral edema) and to have at least practiced insertion in a dummy arm and know what suppiled are required, as well as know how to assess for an inflitrated IV.

well, if you ever relocate to Philadelphia, you'd find that schools don't teach it and the hospitals don't allow students to practice this skill in clinical.

*** Oh I totaly believe you. Are new grads being hired pretty much no problem in your area? Can you see how a hospital haveing to train new grads for more and more things that should have been, and used to be, taught in nursing school increases the cost of hiring new grads and how that might make hospital even more reluctant to hire new grads?

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

*** Oh I totaly believe you. Are new grads being hired pretty much no problem in your area? Can you see how a hospital haveing to train new grads for more and more things that should have been, and used to be, taught in nursing school increases the cost of hiring new grads and how that might make hospital even more reluctant to hire new grads?

No, the market here has gotten better for new grads since '08 when it was at it's worst, but it still takes work to get a job in this area. It's a rough market for experienced nurses too, so I'm not sure how much is fair to attribute to the fact that nursing students aren't taught IV skills here.

As far as learning skills in school vs on the job, I imagine if hospitals wanted new grads to graduate with certain skills, it would be fair for them to allow students to practice those skills at their sites. Each clinical orientation I had began with a long list of skills we were forbidden to perform, even with supervision.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

No, the market here has gotten better for new grads since '08 when it was at it's worst,

*** Well thats good news.

but it still takes work to get a job in this area. It's a rough market for experienced nurses too, so I'm not sure how much is fair to attribute to the fact that nursing students aren't taught IV skills here.

*** I see IV skills as the canary in the coal mine. If one basic nursing skill isn't being taught, what else is being left out?

As far as learning skills in school vs on the job, I imagine if hospitals wanted new grads to graduate with certain skills, it would be fair for them to allow students to practice those skills at their sites. Each clinical orientation I had began with a long list of skills we were forbidden to perform, even with supervision.

** Well that is a fair point. In my hospital properly supervised students are allowed to practice all basic nursing skills and quite a few more advanced ones as well.

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

*** I see IV skills as the canary in the coal mine. If one basic nursing skill isn't being taught, what else is being left out?

Yes, but if you were local to this area, you'd be familiar with the local nursing programs and what was taught and what new grads from the programs tend to be like skill-wise. You'd know that X program does a ton of clinical time in "community health" settings doing blood pressure screenings at the expense of clinical time in nursing homes or hospitals. You'd know that Y program graduates tend to adapt really well to high pressure environments as new grads. You'd know that most of the grads your facility hires from Z program tend to be strong on skills but maybe a bit weaker on critical thinking. And you'd know that none of them learned IV skills. It wouldn't be a canary in this area. Would the cost of teaching it factor in to how many new grads you plan to hire? Sure, possibly, why not. But since every single school here is on the same page about it, it doesn't really offer any distinguishing information about the programs or their graduates here.