IV help

roma4204, BSN, RN · Feb 11, 2011

Are you a new nurse? I get frustrated every time. There is nothing that you can do except try try try again!!!

roma4204, BSN, RN · Feb 11, 2011

And the vein most likely rolled. I always call the IV nurse in my hospital and ask for advice and try it myself before I ask for help.

vald96 · Feb 11, 2011

in my work nurse can only attempt to do peripheral line 3x if you cant get it send them for picc line at the hospital that way res. can keep it longer because for peripheral line you have to change site every 3 days.you have to be patience and take time.

Nursebabe2009 · Feb 11, 2011

I have not had too much practice on IVs. This was on a dummy. I just don't know if I was suppose to advance the needle further and when.

Flames9_RN, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Feb 11, 2011

https://allnurses.com/nursing-student-assistance/any-good-iv-127657.html

https://allnurses.com/emergency-nursing/iv-tips-tricks-3793.html

JR816, BSN, RN · Feb 12, 2011

My personal experience from an ER perspective is that you might have the end of the cannula next to a valve. sometimes, if you draw back a little and try to float it in, it will bypass the valve.

nurse2033, MSN, RN · Feb 12, 2011

IVs are designed to put fluid in, not out. Not all IVs will draw, but patent IVs will flush. It is a common beginner mistake to not fully push the catheter into the vein. When you get a flash the tip of the bevel is in, but the entire bevel may not be. You have to advance a little more so the catheter is fully in the vein.

Nursebabe2009 · Feb 14, 2011

IVs are designed to put fluid in, not out. Not all IVs will draw, but patent IVs will flush. It is a common beginner mistake to not fully push the catheter into the vein. When you get a flash the tip of the bevel is in, but the entire bevel may not be. You have to advance a little more so the catheter is fully in the vein.

Hi

When you get the back flash, do you advance it still with the needle on the bevel or do you retract the needle and push the bevel in?

nurse2033, MSN, RN · Feb 26, 2011

Hi
When you get the back flash, do you advance it still with the needle on the bevel or do you retract the needle and push the bevel in?

The bevel is part of the needle, the catheter is what you advance. Take a good look at an IV needle sometime. Imagine as the tip pierces the vein you get a backflash but the entire bevel is still not in the vein. The catheter starts just behind the bevel. If you try to advance while it is still outside the vein it will probably get hung up on the outside of the vein, tear the vein, or fail to enter. Either way it won't lead to a patent IV. Hope that helps.

Weebee, LVN · Feb 26, 2011

don't withdrawal blood too quickly you could create a vacuum and collapse the vein thus given no return.

Also once you see the flash dont advance the needle any farther, try to advance the catheter, if the catheter doesnt advance then move the needle ever so slightly ... then try the catheter again.... keep doing this till you advance the cath... but be mindful of valves.

Most people will see a flash, think they are in the vain then shove the rest of the NEEDLE into the arm... This causes them to go through the vain and out the other side.... some Nurses will then state "Oh the Vein Blew".

My experiences is that a Vein blowing is rare... normally what happened was the needle was advanced too far and went through the other side of the vein

sunnycalifRN · Feb 26, 2011

Hi,
I need help. I was starting to insert an IV. I got the flashback. I couldn't get blood when I asperated. What am I doing wrong?

It is difficult to give help with IV insertion when not able to watch your technique. I would suggest that you ask an IV expert at your workplace for two things: if you can watch him/her do an IV start and if he/she will watch you do an IV start. Then, you will be able to get immediate feedback on your technique and you will be able to see how an experienced RN starts an IV.

Many times, very small changes in technique (insertion angle, depth of insertion, how you stabilize the vein) will make the difference between success and failure but it is very difficult to describe in writing.