IV skills teaching

[Sunjo]

When in your country do nurses start to learn the skills of intravenous therapy? Skills such as venepuncture; cannulation;IV bolus;introduction of additives into IV fluids.

Is this taught during the student nurse stage? If so when?

In your opinion when should it be taught?

[RNforLongTime]

I was never officially taught how to start IV's. We were given a 1/2 day seminar on IV therapy at the hospital that we were doing clinicals at. Our instructors told us that we wouldn't need to learn IV therapy as all hospitals in the area that I went to nursing school had an IV team. This was in the mid 1990's. Boy, I wish I would've learned how to start IV's in school. The hospital that I now work at does not have an IV team. We have to start our own. Thank God that my venipuncture skills have greatly improved over the past 12 months!:roll

[stevierae]

I learned as a corpsman in the Navy. Some nurses never learn, since it is not taught in school; there are usually courses you can take through community colleges that offer Continuing Ed units, which are required in California. Some palces let you have an anesthesiologist as a preceptor, who signs you off after observing you do three difficult sticks, or whatever the particular hospital establishes as their "proof of skill" criteria.

[Funjet]

I learned venipucture in Medical Assisting school, and then joined a clinical research team and took an IV Certification course offered by a pharmaceutical company that needed more IV certified people at the doctor's office that offered their medication. It was great and I know that after I have become an RN, it will help me greatly.

[stevierae]

Originally posted by Funjet

I learned venipucture in Medical Assisting school, and then joined a clinical research team and took an IV Certification course offered by a pharmaceutical company that needed more IV certified people at the doctor's office that offered their medication. It was great and I know that after I have become an RN, it will help me greatly.

No kidding, FunJet, you are waaaay ahead of the game!!! Good for you for taking the initiative; you will be the RN everybody calls on for their difficult sticks!

Just curious--what was the medication?

[Jamesdotter]

When my hospital downsized the IV unit, they did give the floor nurses a half day with an IV nurse. to be scheduled after a video that the IV team made. Worked great for the people who were able to see the video and schedule the half day.

[live4today, RN]

Originally posted by Sundari

When in your country do nurses start to learn the skills of intravenous therapy? Skills such as venepuncture; cannulation;IV bolus;introduction of additives into IV fluids.

Is this taught during the student nurse stage? If so when?

In your opinion when should it be taught?

The program of nursing I was in let the students learn while students. We practiced on a manikin's arm that felt as real as real could get for a manikin. We were checked off in school, then after we became GNs, we had to start three successful IVs before we could start them without supervision. :)

[Nicunurse_RN]

We learned how to start IV's in my second (and last) year of nursing school. We practiced on each other. It was interesting. We were not aloud to draw blood though. My hospital had a skills review and test last week with blood draws on a manikin ( a required part of the new grad. orientation) I'm thankful i learned while working at a private family practice while in i was in school.