IV Certification for Nursing Students? HELP!

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Hello!

I am a nursing student about to graduate in NJ.

I was wondering if anyone was taught how to start IV's while in school, or do you have to wait until you get your first job to be trained? We can hang bags and manage the IV's and pumps....but have no clue how to actually start them or take blood.

When you respond, can you please tell me what state you are in?

Thank you!!!!

Tolstoym1:nurse:

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I graduated from a Technical college in Wisconsin. We were taught how to give blood, as well as how to start an IV and how to draw blood. Most of our teaching was in the lab, but we did get practice during our clinical time at the hospitals.

Hope this helps.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

unfortunately, not everyone has enough clinical time in nursing school to learn this skill. You don't have to be "certified" as an RN because your license is good enough. However, many new grads get trained on the job. We put them in Same Day Surgery or the ER for 1-2 shifts and BINGO, they are now experts.

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im a lpn and i was going to take a phlebotomy course does that mean that i will be certified tooo do IV'S AHHHHHHHH HELP ME THANK YOU!!!!!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, IM, OB/GYN, neuro, GI.
im a lpn and i was going to take a phlebotomy course does that mean that i will be certified tooo do IV'S AHHHHHHHH HELP ME THANK YOU!!!!!!

No, you'll have a certificate saying that you took a phlebotomy class. You have to take a IV class then you'll receive certification.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, IM, OB/GYN, neuro, GI.

Depends on the program where I live. RN students are taught how to do it on a dummy arm in class. LPN students have to take a certification after graduation because it's not taught during school. When my class questioned this we were told that it was because there was not enough time to train us during the program. I live on the west coast of Florida.

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Specializes in Urgent Care.

Hi,

I went to school in CA and mostly did it in the lab and I myself am not real comfortable with it even though i draw blood as a medical assistant...so I signed up for an IV cert class just to feel more comfortable.

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Hello. I'm in CO and learned this our 2nd semester of the RN program (4 semester program) and was able to do IVs and phlebotomy during our clinicals. I also did the LPN program and became "certified" as an LPN to do them.

It's one skill that I really enjoy doing, but definetly takes lots of practice!

Good luck!

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We have an IV Therapy course integrated into our curriculum. According to the board we are only required to get one successful stick in order to pass. We usually are able to get more then that. I actually just put one in on the floor yesterday. We also have days during clinicals where we go to Same Day Surgery and just put in IV's all day. I haven't even been to that yet and have already put in two.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I never started an IV in nursing school. I also never started an IV in my first nursing job because the hospital had IV nurses to do all IV starts. In my current job, I have to start IV's. They sent me to same day surgery for the day to get practice. Its definitely a skill you just learn on the job if you need it.

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Specializes in LPN, Peds, Public Health.

I am an LPN and we were taught IV and blood draws in school and did TONS of them in clinicals.

So it depends on your school and the state you work in.

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Specializes in skilled nursing LTC.

im in ohio, a lpn and we had an iv cerification class during school. we don't take blood but can start and manage peripheral iv's.

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