IV starts in nursing school

[sunnycalifRN]

When you were in nursing school and you were taught IV insertion, were you allowed to start them on each other? In our nursing program, it was absolutely forbidden . . . something to do with liability and blood exposure.

IMHO, we would be better prepared to start IV's on patients if we were allowed to practice on each other because the plastic arm sucks!! Plus, you would learn firsthand that IV insertion can hurt!

[Gluteus Maximus]

Those dummy arms are useless! And don't give an accurate picture of what a human arm is. Every student should have the choice to practice on each other should they so desire.

[sunnycalifRN]

Our nursing program didn't allow IV starts either. In our last clinical, we had a very nice and lenient instructor that let us start IVs on each other. Often I would ask the nurses I followed in clinicals whether I could take home IV start kits and they obliged. I have stuck my poor fiance the most, my mom, and my sister. Although some might frown upon this practice, I have to say it really helped me out when I got my current job in the hospital. I work nights and I'm looked at now as the go-to person for starting IVs, since we do not have an IV team at night & I'm actually pretty good at them. I say get all the practice you can by willing people =)

I agree. Even though those first attempts can be pretty ugly, I'd rather have it be a cooperative classmate or friend, rather than an angry patient.

[LETRN]

We were not allowed to do them on eachother either...which is why I sucked at it big time in school. I had one opportunity in clinicals at school do start an IV, and it was a major FAIL.

Luckily it is an easily acquired skill, and after a few weeks at my new job after graduation I was pretty proficient.

[redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN]

Those dummy arms are useless! And don't give an accurate picture of what a human arm is. Every student should have the choice to practice on each other should they so desire.

With the exception of just being able to get the practice of how to go about doing it, agreed. They are useless as a substitute for a human though. A drunk monkey could start an IV on a dummy arm, LOL. The veins stick out and don't roll or blow.

[jgorderRN]

we had to start them on each other. I happened to pregnant at the time and because the other student totally missed my vein, I almost fainted. My instructors freaked out because I turned all white and had to lay down. I look back and laugh now but I wonder if the other student was real nervous to start an IV after graduation and in her workplace?

[mikeicurn, ASN, RN]

My school used to have the students practice on one another, but stopped the practice years ago. The reason that was told to me was that starting an IV requires a physcian's order, so it was illegal for them to practice on each other.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

When you were in nursing school and you were taught IV insertion, were you allowed to start them on each other? In our nursing program, it was absolutely forbidden . . . something to do with liability and blood exposure.

IMHO, we would be better prepared to start IV's on patients if we were allowed to practice on each other because the plastic arm sucks!! Plus, you would learn firsthand that IV insertion can hurt!

We can't start them on each other at school. Nothing said we can't practice them on each other outside of school. My CI let me try to start 2 on her at the hospital. My neighbor works on the IV team so he is getting me some supplies and going to give me some pointers too. So far I have only tried twice, I can get the placement good but when I go to advance I blow the vein. We practiced blood draws on each other at the hospital to with our CI and I did that one first try. I agree, the plastic arm in school is not realistic.

[beba/rn]

we never practice iv insertion in school

[tothepointeLVN, LVN]

My school paid for an IV certification course once I finished my LVN course as a "reward" for passing the HESI the first time.

We practiced on the rubber arm and then had to have 3 successful witnessed live sticks.

The rule set by the instructor was if you wanted to practice your sticks on a classmate you had to make your self available to be stuck if not then you had to bring your own live body to practice your sticks on. Each person could only be stuck 4x success or not.

The catch phrase of the day was " this doesn't hurt at all" as we were all good buddies and wanted to encourage each other.

[TheOldestNurseOnUnit]

We weren't allowed to start on each other in my school and I believe the reason was insurance-related....injuring each other wouldn't have done well for the school's insurance!

The fake arm sucked....thank God I already knew phlebotomy so IVs were (relatively) easy for me. Of course where I work we have an IV team--haven't started an IV in YEARS!

[penny112]

We practiced on each other after signing a waiver. We only got 1 start due to lack of funds for equipment. I also practiced on a friend at home.

[sunnycalifRN]

We can't start them on each other at school. Nothing said we can't practice them on each other outside of school. My CI let me try to start 2 on her at the hospital. My neighbor works on the IV team so he is getting me some supplies and going to give me some pointers too. So far I have only tried twice, I can get the placement good but when I go to advance I blow the vein. We practiced blood draws on each other at the hospital to with our CI and I did that one first try. I agree, the plastic arm in school is not realistic.

Yes! As I said in an earlier post, I practiced at home with my study partner and we each successfully placed 2 IV's on each other. However, we were very careful never to mention anything about it to anyone else because I'm sure that our instructors would have "freaked out" and would have tried to have us kicked out of the program!!