IVT Case Completion concern..

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A couple of weeks ago I went to this hospital for my IVT completion and I was wondering why the staff nurses there won't let us touch their patients...I meant figuratively. They just gave us the cases and only a few of the staff allowed me to join them and carry out the medication orders (IV push, aspirating meds from vials etc. --the very basic ones). I didnt even have the chance to do IV insertion eventhough they knew I was there 'to learn'.

I didn't know if it's a usual procedure for us to just observe the staff doing their IV's and stuff.... Maybe I wasn't assertive enough to tell them or ask them , 'Would you allow me to do it?'. It's obvious they were very busy.

What's the use of getting a completion if we cant have the chance to validate our skills.

After I was given my IVT cases, I wonder....maybe these nurses learned their craft /got used to doing all these nursing procedures when they were hired/when they were given patient assignments/ ..maybe then they felt really accountable for their patients such that they would hardly let their patients be handled by practicumers ...

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Specializes in EENT, MS, Aged Care.

I don't think this should be the scenario, you paid for the completion AND you were trained to do such. For that two reasons alone, you should have told them to let you do it and just be around to guide you. When I had my completion last October of this year, I handled all the 6-6-2 required cases and there's always a supervision from a staff nurse around, that's also the case with the others. They were only strict with IV insertion, initially, you do all the necessary steps but once they noticed that you are having a hard time inserting it, they will look for the problem, estimate for it, and will guide your hand on doing a successful one. But that's just so minimal, and even you fail the first attempt, they will still let you try a second one. If you had your training with the same hospital that you are speaking, perhaps there's a problem with them. Anyway, good thing you are already done. :D

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wow.. Its sad to know that such things happen. I just have to agree on what you said, maybe you should have been more ASSERTIVE and told them that they should have let you do it on your own, respectfully of course. Thats what I did when I completed my cases, they would not let me handle the patients for insertion unless I ask them if i could do it ( under their supervision of course ). Luckily I learned the techniques from these people. :) Im much more confident regarding my IVT skills because of this.

Goodluck to you. :D

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thanks for sharing twisted189 and official02

the completion is inclusive of the training fee. i didnt need to pay extra to have my completion there. the charge nurse actually gave me a go signal to try to insert but then the patient would only want any of his 3 favorite nurses to re-insert. besides that, sometimes they would do the insertion...and then right after doing it, they would tell me, 'hey, I've got one insertion. you can get that case. just get the details!'.

it's frustrating. i dont know..maybe when i become a staff nurse, i'll have all the time in the world to practice it. never mind the IV meds administration, it's way easier to learn than the more invasive IV insertion. :)

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Specializes in ER.

I also have the same problem last june.

The staff didnt want me to handle the insertion of ivt

because they said that the patients are sensitive.

So what i did was i applied in a primary hospital where they conduct

iv insertion, luckly the staff there was great and made me handle

the procedure.

Now, im more confident to insert iv even to those rich patients

and even babies. Environment really plays a big factor. :coollook:

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Specializes in Critical Care.

If I were you, I would talk to the Charge nurse if not to the unit manager regarding the situation. On the other hand, maybe the nurses are just busy and no time to supervise trainees for the mean time. You see guys, with the unfair nurse-patient ratio, it's very hard to have trainee on the job. NOt to mention, some of the patients prefers a nurse and not just trainees to insert an IV. Likewise, I would feel the same way too. I would rather have a license nurse insert an IV but of course I always think that if these nurses were not given a chance to grow, it would be unfair on their part.

Just be aggressive and have the initiative to ask your preceptors to help you out. I am also a preceptor to new nurses and it's not really easy.. trust me! I sometimes see trainees just chatting, texting and sitting at the station and if I see them, I would live them alone and just go with my work. I need a nurse who after I oriented everything have the initiative to take another step to nursing career.

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Thanks for your input lenjoy. I understand they really had no time to teach me/guide me, I saw their patient assignments was like 1:7 or 1:10 and it's a busy ward. They assured me that it's okay to just get the cases and that I'll have more chance to do it once I become a staff. When I told the head nurse about it, after she countersigned my completion form, she wasnt able to say anything.

IV insertion is a skill and I know it doesnt only take 6 patients to master it. I just thought that my time sitting there waiting for an IV insertion was wasted. I made myself appear VERY MUCH available for them that once there's an IV stuff to do, they could call me right away.. but too bad they would just tell me about it WHEN they're DONE..

I know it doesnt end here, IV insertion is just one of the many procedures of an RN, but I was kind of hoping that the staff would be more considerate to teach/guide the newbies because in the end, their workload will be lighter..and we'll all be happy :)

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Specializes in ER.

I agree initiative can be an advantage!

It seperate good nurses to the best nurses!

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well said, king ramon. :yeah:

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Thanks for your input lenjoy. I understand they really had no time to teach me/guide me, I saw their patient assignments was like 1:7 or 1:10 and it's a busy ward. They assured me that it's okay to just get the cases and that I'll have more chance to do it once I become a staff. When I told the head nurse about it, after she countersigned my completion form, she wasnt able to say anything.

IV insertion is a skill and I know it doesnt only take 6 patients to master it. I just thought that my time sitting there waiting for an IV insertion was wasted. I made myself appear VERY MUCH available for them that once there's an IV stuff to do, they could call me right away.. but too bad they would just tell me about it WHEN they're DONE..

I know it doesnt end here, IV insertion is just one of the many procedures of an RN, but I was kind of hoping that the staff would be more considerate to teach/guide the newbies because in the end, their workload will be lighter..and we'll all be happy :)

you said it yourself, they tell you when it's done. I suggest that you observe her every move. Then when your turn is needed, ask her if you can do it with her supervision. That's it! I understand her that if a procedure needs to be done quickly and everything is turning out to be toxic, I cherish every second of duty, I would rather do it myself than look for my trainee in the other room to do it for me just because his completing something. It would be a waste of my time! as what I've said earlier, be aggressive and have the INITIATIVE to look for opportunity to practice what your there for.

Trust me, when the time comes that your already working here in the Philippines, you'll understand what I mean.

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Hi lenjoy! Thanks! Nice to hear inputs coming from preceptors like you. I used to do your suggestion when I was still in school. I would always volunteer to do nursing procedures, but I guess I was too shy to push myself more during my completion duty and I should have been more direct by saying 'hey, next time, please tell me if you will do insertion so I can do it myself! :-) --..I was just overwhelmed seeing them running around..doing their tasks etc. that I assumed they wouldnt want to teach me because theyre busy.

It's okay, lesson learned :-)

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I'll be having my duty for IVT completion next week! I also have the same concern. Now I know what to do when I'm in duty! :)

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