Is it normal that my school doesn't teach us IVs?

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  1. Is it normal not to learn IVs in nursing school?

    • 55
      Yes
    • 49
      No

104 members have participated

I just started nursing school and I've been told that we're not allowed to do IVs. Is this in all nursing schools or just mine? I'm worried that I won't be prepared when I get my first nursing job.

Specializes in Austere trauma management.

My school teaches IVs and Foleys, both of which are pretty simple procedures. I get asked if I can/ want to start IVs while at clinical pretty frequently.

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Specializes in Med-Tele; ED; ICU.

I attended an accelerated DEMSN program and we were taught IV skills in labs and would practice them on each other after clinicals.

I didn't become competent until I'd been working for a few months, though, and didn't become an expert until I'd been in the ED for awhile.

Generally speaking, I don't think there's enough opportunity to practice for most students and that, beyond learning the fundamentals of aseptic technique, it's a topic best learned in the trenches.

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Specializes in CTICU.

I recently graduated from a BSN program in California. And we were taught how to do every skill during our assessment/skills course. We practiced giving injections and IVs to each other, and practiced a foley catheter on a male and female dummy. It is my understanding that some states do not allow students to practice IVs on each other. So maybe you are part of a state where it is against the law to do so.

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My school taught us how to do IV insertions half way through the program and had us do at least 3 in the clinical setting in order to pass.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

We learned Foleys, IVs, NGs, OGs, rectal tubes, etc. It was up to our clinical site whether or not we were able to practice them. I was able to do all of the above during my critical care rotation..

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Specializes in ED, Medicine, Case Management.

2016 grad... we absolutely learned how to do foley placement. In fact it, as part of sterile procedure, was one of our lab skill check-offs. We had an IV lab, but learning how to place IV's on actual human arms did not come until my capstone placement. We were told that most units have IV teams and phlebotomy, so most folks rarely have to do them. However, my capstone was critical care so we did blood draws frequently and only had the team start IV's on those folks who were particularly tough sticks. I am still not great at it but can at least happily attempt.

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I'm graduating from an Accelerated BSN program this Saturday, August 20th and we were taught IV's and Foley's during 1st Semester. In Skills Lab we only practiced these skills on dummy's but were allowed to perform these skills during hospital clinical if the opportunity presented itself. During our 3rd Semester of Nursing School the students at my clinical site spent 1 day on an Endoscopy unit basically to allow us the opportunity to practice IV's. I did my Clinical Immersion/Externship in the Trauma ED and started several IV's there with 16G needles. I also finally inserted Foley's, on both a man and a woman, and an OG tube on an intubated patient during my Trauma ED rotation. So, yeah I would say it's strange for a nursing program not to teach skills...

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Specializes in ER/ICU.

Double posted. Oops.

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Specializes in ER/ICU.
That's funny because we still learn IVs and how to do Foleys. I am based in Middle GA. I also learned blood draws because I am a critical care tech in the ER until I graduate nursing school

Hey, I'm in Middle GA too! :D

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Specializes in ER/ICU.
If you are equating your placement of an IV catheter to a MONKEY, and saying that you both can place them with equal success, then I have a great fear for your patients. In addition, DO NOT ever come and attempt to place one in me...

Did you even read the post? Yes, IVs are a basic skill. EMTs learn how to place an IV in a six month course. The IV portion is often only a single class period, maybe two. Phlebotomist a learn to draw labs in a six week course or less. Starting IVs is not some mystical advanced skill. As the OP stated, the advanced provider's skill is in knowing when to perform an intervention and when not to.

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Assited Living/LTC.

The practical nursing program I attended did not teach IV insertion. We were able to DC IVs, spike a bag, and prime tubing, assess and monitor the site, etc in clinical once we passed off these skills in lab. After PN graduation we were able to attend an IV certification class taught by our same instructors where we learned insertions, drip rates, blood draws etc. However, we did not receive our IV certification on paper until we took NCLEX and obtained our license. This was in Utah so I'm sure it varies from state to state.

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We learned catheter insertion if and when we happened to get the opportunity during clinicals. IV insertion is normally done as part of your nursing orientation when you start a job, as facilities have their own protocols, etc. At least in my neck of the woods that is how it is. Don't stress too much over what you haven't learned. You will get it on the job, and with a good preceptor, if you are lucky, you will learn all you need to.

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