IV insertion observation

Nursing Students General Students

Published

Specializes in MSN, FNP-BC.

Hello! I am taking some nursing classes but I'm not in clinicals yet. Yesterday at work, I work as a tech, I watched one of the RN's start an IV line on an elderly pt with tiny and small veins. Took about 5 minutes to find a vein. The first one didn't work and the RN blew it. The second one finally worked.

My worry is that while I was closely watching the RN do the IV, he was really moving the needle around trying to get the vein and it make me a little queasy to my stomach. It made me question if I will actually be able to start an IV when I get to that point or not. I have to problems giving shots or anything else where the needle goes straight in but it's the "digging" around that really got my tummy going. I know it's all in my head. Any tips on how to get over that?

Time.

Specializes in RN, Cardiac Step Down/Tele Unit.

For me, doing it myself was different than watching it. I get so focused on the task that the gross factor does not even phase me. I also cannot watch someone clean up poop, but if I join in and help, it does not bother me. Good luck!

Yep...I agree. Once you're the one doing whatever it is that is being done, it's a whole different feeling. You're usually too busy concentrating on what you're doing to think about feeling queasy.

Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.

I've done well over a dozen IVs since starting my internship this summer, and I've found I've gotten over a LOT of my fears!!

First of all, I was having trouble holding the hub of the needle and drawing blood for labs -- I was SO afraid of hurting the pt, that I was probably causing more damage and hurt....but now that I'm more comfortable with the whole procedure, that's gotten much easier....I have only had problems with insertion on one pt, and the RN who was observing had me do a bit of that "digging around"....then later I observed another RN doing it on a pt that they were doing a code on, and I realized that there's a time and place and situation that applies to this moving the needle around.

You will be able to get past it with some experience!!

Time, patience, and practice. I will be the first to admit that I am NOT good at IVs at this point. I did my first clinicals in oncology and my patients just had crappy veins and most of them had a PICC or portacath, so I never got an IV started on any of them. :( I think I tried 5 times during my first semester. I got one on the first try this semester on a healthy laboring mom, but then the same day I was unsuccessful on another patient. I have gotten more used to the digging around and that doesn't bother me so much any more, although the first time I tried I was so terrified of hurting someone that I gave up if I didn't get it right away! Now, I just have trouble advancing the catheter without wiggling the needle around. That's typically when I screw up ... I get a flash back and then I wiggle the needle around too much and blow it. :(

Thankfully there is more to being a good nurse than starting an IV!

+ Add a Comment