IV starts in nursing schools

[DaynaPierceMorgan]

I am a nursing professor and our university currently does not teach IV starts to students as part of the cirriculum. I am pushing for that to change.

Did most of you recent graduates learn to start IVs in school?

Thank you.

Dayna, Seattle

[wanderlust99]

We did it on dummies in the skill lab, I started one on myself while in nursing school, and yes we were allowed to practice on patients. We did a clinical rotation at a day surgery place one day just to get practice with IV starts.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

We learned on each other, plus started IV's in clinicals. I cannot imagine going thru 4 years of nursing school and not being taught how to place an IV! No wonder hospitals do not want to hire new grads; why on earth should a hospital "train them during orientation?" Wow. What is the point of even going to nursing school if you aren't taught basic nursing skills? Even when I worked in university hospitals the interns and residents only did the central lines ~ we nurses did the peripheral ones. I can't imagine not being able to just quickly start my own IV's instead of waiting for an IV team to come and do it. No time for that.

[bell1962]

many years ago in associates program.. never drew blood or started IV's! On the job training for me...

[ohiobobcat]

I graduated in 2006 from an ADN program and we didn't start IVs in that program. I learned on the job. I took and IV class through the hospital system that hired me. Although I didn't get really good at it until I started working in the ER and had to start multiple IVs daily.

[FlyingScot, RN]

I don't get the "liability" part or the "no students" part. A new RN with no experience is just as likely to mess up as a student. What's the difference between a student and a new grad? There isn't a difference. You can bet your sweet bippy that when I have a student with me in my lab they start IV's. Otherwise what's the point? I think the student learning environment is much more conducive to a successful experience than when on orientation with the 8 gazillion things you are trying to cram in your head over a short period of time.

[Caffeine_IV]

We were taught in my nursing program. Whether you got any experience during clinical depended on the site and clinical instructor. I believe I did 2 IV attempts during nursing school. Some students practiced on each other, I opted out of that.

[Katie71275]

I graduated from an ADN program in Louisiana. We learned IV starts in skills lab and in clinical a if we got the chance. As a new grad, we really didn't have much experience with them. I learned it better in the job.

[Julesmama28]

I graduate in a month and we've been taught since the first year how to do IVs. It's not something everyone gets to do in the hospital setting though. I have actively searched them out and have done probably 30 or so but I have classmates who've only done a couple. It's personal preference. I love doing them! Some people could care less.

[random_nurse12]

I am an instructor. I have worked at 3 different schools of nursing. The schools taught IV starts on model arms and students were permitted to attempt IVs with supervision in the clinical areas. However, some hospitals have rules that do not allow students to start IVs. Also, it can be difficult to find willing and appropriate patients for IV starts. I would not say the majority of students are truly competent when they graduate, and this is something they will have to learn on the job. There simply are not enough opportunities for IVs presented to us in clinical to make students competent. Students are also not permitted to start IVs on each other in any of the programs I have worked in.

[random_nurse12]

Just to expand on the liability issue....

In one school of nursing I have taught in, students had to be 100% supervised by the instructor. This means I could not send them with an ER nurse or Pre-Op nurse for a day to start IVs. I was told this was not covered by the insurance policy of the school. It only covered students performing skills under the DIRECT supervision of the school's faculty.

In other schools, students were allowed to be supervised by the clinical site's RNs, so long as the hospital's policy accounted for the supervision of nursing students by the RN staff. In those schools I could send a student to start IVs with a nurse all day.

In the three schools I have taught in, I was also told the school's insurance did not cover students starting IVs on one another or doing anything invasive to one another (IMs, SQs). Yes, some instructors will break this rule and allow students to start IVs on one another.

Yes, starting IVs is a skill. However, it is not a skill that is unique to nursing and it can be taught on the job. In fact, I believe that learning it on the job and being able to do it repetitively, is much more effective than a couple of random IV starts in nursing school. I do teach it in the first med-surg course on an IV arm, and review it in every course thereafter. I allow my students to start IVs in clinical. But again, there is simply not enough opportunities to make them competent at IV starts.

[Ozzy84]

Unfortunate they don't teach us as well. Only IM and SQ injection. Wish they would train us (. New York City

[AOx1]

We teach this in second semester to our BSN students. I would be embarrassed if they did not know these skills. Our students graduate with around 1100 hours of clinical practice, have excellent pass rates, and are quickly hired before they graduate. Word gets around quickly in our area about which graduates are ready to practice, and I'm proud that our students are known for clinical excellence.