I am taking a quick poll to find out the trend of teaching IV therapy skills in nursing school. I am currently a nursing school instructor finishing my own Masters project on the subject of IV therapy. I am wondering if any or all nursing schools build IV therapy into their curriculum? Do you have a lecture? Lab? Fake arms? Real practice on a classmate? Special day to come in to learn and practice these skills? If any of these answers are no, would you like this curriculum in your program?
Thank you in advance for those that take time out of their busy studying schedule to answer this fact finding mission.
CC ASN program here, we learn fluids and electrolytes and have to check off on a dummy arm. We're allowed to do IV starts in clinicals after the dummy arm checkoff (which was the last week of our Foundation semester, so it's Adult before we actually get a chance at it) but so far with the PICC's being so popular there aren't a lot of opportunities. The two or three pts this semester that have needed an IV, the RN wasn't comfortable with the student doing it (hard stick, upset pt) and so none of us have gotten a go yet. They keep telling us we'll get our chance in Complex, we'll see. I've also been told that many students get out of our program without a chance on a real person, and that wherever we get hired will probably have IV training.
I was a EMT/P some almost 20 years ago, and back then we learned on each other. Made for some nasty bruises, but it was a lot better than the rubber arm. All my classmates are terrified at the thought of starting an IV. I figure I've got a *little* advantage, but it was so long ago I don't know if it'll be like riding a bike or not. :)
I say bring back the "practice on each other". We had the option to opt out, but if we didn't let others practice on us, we couldn't practice on them. I think that's fair, and all of us in the EMT/P class opted in... I probably had 3 or 4 successful sticks on my classmates before I ever stuck a patient, and it got rid of the fear factor for me.
CC ASN program here, we learn fluids and electrolytes and have to check off on a dummy arm. We're allowed to do IV starts in clinicals after the dummy arm checkoff (which was the last week of our Foundation semester, so it's Adult before we actually get a chance at it) but so far with the PICC's being so popular there aren't a lot of opportunities. The two or three pts this semester that have needed an IV, the RN wasn't comfortable with the student doing it (hard stick, upset pt) and so none of us have gotten a go yet. They keep telling us we'll get our chance in Complex, we'll see. I've also been told that many students get out of our program without a chance on a real person, and that wherever we get hired will probably have IV training.
I was a EMT/P some almost 20 years ago, and back then we learned on each other. Made for some nasty bruises, but it was a lot better than the rubber arm. All my classmates are terrified at the thought of starting an IV. I figure I've got a *little* advantage, but it was so long ago I don't know if it'll be like riding a bike or not. :)
I say bring back the "practice on each other". We had the option to opt out, but if we didn't let others practice on us, we couldn't practice on them. I think that's fair, and all of us in the EMT/P class opted in... I probably had 3 or 4 successful sticks on my classmates before I ever stuck a patient, and it got rid of the fear factor for me.
One of our instructors said the same thing but one of my classmates let me stick her and I managed to avoid the needle because I HATE IVs!
CC ADN program. We have been doing IV starts since second semester. We have fake arms, a computer simulated program (with an arm and a "needle") and we can stick each other in skills lab, but an instructor has to be present. Also, you can only stick a student who has been trained to stick you. No torturing the first semester students. :)
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theantichick
320 Posts
CC ASN program here, we learn fluids and electrolytes and have to check off on a dummy arm. We're allowed to do IV starts in clinicals after the dummy arm checkoff (which was the last week of our Foundation semester, so it's Adult before we actually get a chance at it) but so far with the PICC's being so popular there aren't a lot of opportunities. The two or three pts this semester that have needed an IV, the RN wasn't comfortable with the student doing it (hard stick, upset pt) and so none of us have gotten a go yet. They keep telling us we'll get our chance in Complex, we'll see. I've also been told that many students get out of our program without a chance on a real person, and that wherever we get hired will probably have IV training.
I was a EMT/P some almost 20 years ago, and back then we learned on each other. Made for some nasty bruises, but it was a lot better than the rubber arm. All my classmates are terrified at the thought of starting an IV. I figure I've got a *little* advantage, but it was so long ago I don't know if it'll be like riding a bike or not. :)
I say bring back the "practice on each other". We had the option to opt out, but if we didn't let others practice on us, we couldn't practice on them. I think that's fair, and all of us in the EMT/P class opted in... I probably had 3 or 4 successful sticks on my classmates before I ever stuck a patient, and it got rid of the fear factor for me.