IV Insertion in School?

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Hi! I was recently told by an instructor of mine that we will not learn to place an IV during school, but rather it will be on the job training once we graduate and get hired. Now, I have no idea if this is standard or not, hence my question. I was just wondering if you learned how to put in IV in school or once you got your first job? Thanks in advance!

We never even covered it. Very similar to what OP said, we were told that we would be trained on the job. I think it may have something to do with the location of the school...I went to nursing school in the northeast but then moved to NC for my first job. No school around us that we knew of did IV training, but when I got down here my coworkers could not believe I hadn't done it in school. Thankfully I started in the NICU so my preceptor expected to teach me how to specifically start IVs on babies, but she was taken aback that I had never stuck a person before...hadn't even stuck a fake arm.

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Specializes in PACU.

We will be learning to start IVs next semester and will be expected to perform the skill in clinical

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

One of the first things we learned how to do in lab. I checked off that skill by starting one on my instructor.

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Specializes in ICU.

No and I wish we had. We didn't even practice it on mannequins or receive any helpful hints on starting them. We didn't practice NG tube insertions on mannequins either.

I am now working as an RN in a hospital in southwest USA. The nursing school in this area starts IVs and places NG tubes. I really feel cheated in my hands-on skills.

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I didn't have the opportunity in my LVN training--it wasn't allowed at that time. But when I did my ADN training, I had multiple chances.

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Specializes in CVICU.

You didn't even cover it in lab? It's not unheard of for a student to not have a chance to start one in clinicals, but it's strange to me y'all won't be shown how it's done on a mannequin or even an explanation of it. Judging from the responses so far though, this isn't too uncommon. So take that for what you will.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I had my first successful IV start after I had been a nurse for 6+ years. I had never drawn blood or started an IV line during my time in two different nursing programs (LVN and ASN).

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Specializes in ICU.

We started IVs in school, and I graduated two years ago. Especially when we got to our preceptorships and we were working 3 12 hour shifts with a nurse. I probably started at least 10-15 IVs before I graduated. The students who did their preceptorships in ER probably started way more than that.

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We didn't learn in school either. IV starts and phlebotomy were basically an additional "course" run by a different nursing school in the area that our health authority would pay for you to attend once you were hired. I never did it because I went straight into community and we don't start peripheral IVs out here.

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I learned in school. I went to school in Puerto Rico so maybe the rules there are different. I did my clinicals at VA hospital and the patients there were so helpful answer willing to help a student that would let us stick them a few times just to have some company and conversation. I missed quite a few times as you might expect and they didn't seem to mind.

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We practiced on a dummy in skills lab. A few of us got a chance to start and IV in clinicals, but it depended on what was available.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

It's sad, but what your school is telling you seems to be the trend. I graduated not that long ago and we started tons of IV's while in school.

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