IV's/Blood draws as FNP

GuEsT78 · Jun 24, 2015

Your question is sensible. You've got a problem and you're facing it in a straight-forward fashion.

If you want to become a FNP, go for it. Just add a condition. Promise yourself that you will only take jobs where there'll be someone who can do that blood draw for you. Just make that clear when you interview. You may even be told "Oh, well Jamie always does our blood draws anyway. She'd very good at them."

Remember "commonly perform" doesn't mean "always perform." A FNP isn't a phlebotomist. If you want a particular future, make it happen.

CocoaLoverFNP · Jun 24, 2015

I never met an NP who had to start IVs or do blood draws in the primary care clinics. However, I know that community clinic NPs sometimes just do it because their lab techs tend to get busy.

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Alicia777, MSN, NP · Jun 24, 2015

I offer sometimes when the nurses on the floors are having trouble but only because I used to consider myself good at it. It's definitely not a job requirement at least for the inpatient population.

PG2018 · Jun 24, 2015

I've seen an ER FNP start an IV. She'd been an ER RN for 20+ years, and I think she got some jollies out of doing it. But no I can't imagine a practice arrangement where you'd have to. I model my practice after an old doctor I used to work with who said "If it doesn't take a doctor to do it - I don't do it and neither should you" so that relates to phone calls ad nauseam, PAs, walking to the waiting room to retrieve people, etc. I'm sure you could do this if you wanted, yet it sounds like you don't.

Now, having said that, do you think you'd be able to suture, incise an abscess, inject a joint, et al?

anh06005, MSN, APRN, NP · Jun 24, 2015

It depends on the setting. In an urgent care I did clinicals in they would sometimes do IV fluids on patients if needed. If the nurses couldn't get the IV my preceptor usually could (she was a previous ER nurse). In my current job (primary care) we don't do IV's so I don't have to worry about it (like you I'm not great at IV's). I DO, though, sometimes draw blood if the other staff are busy. I can do that no problem. The MD's don't do it. The PA doesn't do it (that I know of). But I enjoy drawing blood and if I have the time why shouldn't I do it?

mka0141 · Jun 24, 2015

I'm not far enough into FNP school to have done suturing, etc. But, on the floor, I can do Foleys, NG's, etc. with little to no difficulty. My problem is really focused on IV's. It's embarrassing, but where I went to nursing school we were never taught that, and my first RN job before my current one had an IV "team" so no staff RN's started them. I am really hoping this weakness doesn't affect my newly chosen FNP career.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Jun 24, 2015

I worked in a community health center and our NPs were never asked to do blood draws or IVs. We did occasional IVs to save our pts a trip to the hospital, but it was the nurses who started them. And we had a phlebotomist who was/is so good that if she couldn't stick you, there was no hope for the rest of us!

At the hospital, the neonatal NPs will stick the babies if others have tried and been unsuccessful, but that's a critical care NP and a far cry from what you will see in primary care.

Most likely if you're in primary care you'll be doing minor surgery - I&Ding boils, taking off toenails, the like. I just learned how to suture last week - it is FUN!

Dranger · Jun 24, 2015

I really don't see why would have to but suturing/minor surgical procedures are gonna be a must.

Sha-Sha RN · Jun 25, 2015

As a NP I don't do blood draws or IV starts but I know FNPs who worked in the ICU who may have to draw blood sometimes or do arterial sticks if no one can find a vein for blood. I know one of my preceptors did draw blood if his RN was out for the day. However it is not a job requirement and you need blood from someone or iv access there is usually someone around who can do it.

bugya90, ASN, BSN, LVN, RN · Jun 25, 2015

I'm an LVN in primary care. Our NPs never do blood draws and in the 3 years I've been in primary care we've only done 2 IVs. Both were started by the LVNs. I have no doubt our NPs can do IVs and blood draws as they had tons of floor experience before becoming providers but it's probably been over a decade since they did it. Also, it is specifically in my job description to start and maintain IVs and draw blood. It is not in their job description. I would be shocked if a clinic wants to have their NPs drawing blood or doing IVs, yall get paid more than general nursing staff and I'm sure the clinic wants to get their money's worth from you. The only way a clinic makes money is when you are seeing as many patients a day as possible, therefore things like this goes to the nurses not the providers.

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Jun 25, 2015

Don't worry...we all have something we fear or dread. I've been a nurse for nigh on 23 years and honestly in my entire career I've never been asked to start an IV. I'm from England and when I trained we weren't allowed to place an IV...we had to call a doctor! Truth! The docs placed all the IVs...ok this was back in the stone age. :rolleyes: Then I worked in ICU where we had an IV team that would come place IVs so all I had to do was place a call and they would come. The only reason I can do it today is because of my stint in dialysis where I learned to stick fistulas. I've done a few IVs now but it's not something I'd ever say I was great at. I've never heard of an NP or a PA placing an IV, at least not in my experience, but different facilities have different cultures, so who knows. :nurse: