How many residents does it take to start an IV?

[JuliusSeizure]

Resident: "So you take the patient into the examining room...."

Med student: "Examining room... got it..."

Resident: "Have them sign the consent form..."

Med student: "Consent form... okay..."

Resident: "Then you go ahead and get an IV started...."

Med Student: "You're kidding."

Resident: "What?"

Med student: "Um, I don't know how to start an IV."

Other resident in room: "Me either."

Resident: "Well, you can give it a try."

Med student: "Seriously, I've done it like, once. I could maybe draw blood if I had to, but there's no way I can start an IV."

Resident: "Actually, I don't really know how to do it either."

How many residents does it take to start an IV? Clearly more than 3.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

I call bull. It doesn't take any residents to start an IV. They let the nurse do it.

[angeloublue22, BSN, RN]

You better believe it!

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

No residents to start an IV, they call a nurse.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Interns learn to do this kind of stuff. Draw labs, start IV's, etc.

Not sure why this thread made it on to FB.

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

There are nurses who don't start IVs. Like anything, it's a skill, and if you don't practice it regularly you become rusty. Residents/MDs don't typically start IVs that frequently. But they also perform other tasks more competently than I do.

We are all equally important members of a healthcare team. I don't see why it's necessary to make fun of residents because they don't often start IVs.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I agree Ashley.

[ArvinC EMT, ADN, BSN, RN]

Residents can start ultrasound IV and central lines.

[NanikRN]

Residents are learning. Maybe they know how to start an IV, maybe they don't. Maybe they did it a blue moon ago and have learned 3 million-jillion things since then. They'll either remember how or they'll call the nurse and s/he will teach them.

Or not, and the nurse will just start the IV. Cause it's what we do *shrug*

I can't see any value to a thread that seems to be all about ridiculing or putting others down.

We as a profession are better than this

Oops-- old thread reopened--sorry

[annmcc]

Geez, it's a joke guys. Lighten up. If the residents can't take it they are in the wrong profession.

[kloveriver]

I work with residents and they are very good starting IV. They do an IV and draw lab for us at the same time. When we have a hard time getting IV we ask for help from them in NICU. I saw how they put IV to a premature baby at temporal region and dressing it with a medicine cup to hold the IV. It is a skill to learn from.

[cemisciagna1]

How many nurses forget where they started? We didn't start off knowing how. It took many tries to gain that experience.