where do you learn blood draws

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 7, 2015

I wonder how nurses without a background in which they were taught IV starts, learn how to do these?

Nurses without a background in venipuncture or IV starts learn them through 'baptism by fire' if they're working at a facility that requires these skills.

Not all nurses are required to draw blood or start IV lines. To be totally honest, I'd be perfectly fine with never sticking another patient for the rest of my life. I'm a paperwork and computer person at heart, not a hands-on procedural skill person.

nrobins3 · Dec 7, 2015

I'm from a state that doesn't allow students to do blood draws or IVs. I learned blood draws when I got a job as a tech in an ED at a hospital that had fired all its phlebotomist and trained their techs to save money. I've been an RN on a cardiac floor for three months and I've been learning on the job. Luckily most of the nurses are awesome and bring me and other new grads in to try whenever they have one. I've done a pretty lot of them for only three months but I'm also one of those people who loves doing the procedural stuff like that so I always offer to try. Just hide that your nervous and jump in like you've been doing it for years! If you miss, you'll get the next one :)

FL_Nurse92 · Dec 9, 2015

I learned in my very first semester of nursing school but no one has to know you can't do a blood draw. When you graduate and start working, even though you and your coworkers know you JUST graduated and you ARE a new, but competent nurse, they will STILL ask you if you know how to do whatever it is that you are about to do! In your case, just say I do, but I would feel more comfortable watching once.

meganec17 · Dec 9, 2015

I actually just asked a similar question, which brought me here. At my school, we are not taught to put it IVs. Funny enough, I have given medication IV push already though (I'm just now finishing up Fundamentals). I guess each school and clinical facility is different.

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · Dec 9, 2015

The only exposure we had in nursing school was starting an IV on a rubber arm with "veins" that had water colored with red dye in it to look like blood. The rubber arm was so thick, it was no where close to what it's like to start an IV on fragile skin. We did get the opportunity to try IV starts in clinicals, but many of our classmates graduated without ever getting the chance to do so. None of us were taught to draw blood.

Before nursing school, I opted to take a phlebotomy class instead of getting CNA certification. The phlebotomy class was VERY helpful. I have been able to do successful IV starts from the get-go because of the experience I got doing blood draws in my phlebotomy externship. I'm pretty good at finding and hitting the vein the first time. Even though I'm a new nurse, my fellow nurses ask me to try to get an IV going if they don't get it the first time. So, in my experience, getting the phlebotomy certification was well worth it.

I do have to say that once we were hired in to the hospital, they had an IV class that all of us had to attend. Once you could show you were competent to start IVs (we had to do them on each other), you were checked off and allowed to go on the floor. The nurses never do lab draws in our facility. Only the phlebotomists do it. The only time nurses do draws is when the patient has a central line.

direw0lf, BSN · Dec 9, 2015

Thanks again everyone. I took a 1 wk phlebotomy course (in the past) and got to practice 3x. I wasn't successful with any of them on my own. The teacher helped guide me the 3rd time. I need to look into a better program. But it also looks good that I'll get a pt sitter job and from there a pct and hopefully I'll learn some more skills.

I might be more like TheCommuter though I'm thinking I'll like everything else better than skills!

jennarae86 · Dec 10, 2015

I was taught how to draw blood in the ER as a tech but I took a phlebotomy class at my local community college just to have better comprehension of the different types of draw you can do and equipment needed and more in depth info about tubes, additives, etc (we practiced on each other for blood draws). The first few venipunctures are nerve racking and scary (at least to me they were) but you'll get comfortable with it pretty quickly :)

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Dec 12, 2015

I was taught IVs in school...2nd or 3rd semester. We practiced on each other in skills lab and then were allowed to with pts, with their consent and instructor's supervision.

I think I placed two in school, so that put me only two ahead of you. :) We also went over it in new grad class at my first job, too.

Blood draws, we didn't learn in school. Most places this is a phlebotomist's job, so I wouldn't worry about it.

dragonflylilly · Dec 16, 2015

We practice on an arm but in our second year, if there is an opportunity during clinical, we do it since we require 3 IV starts by the end of nursing school.

caliotter3 · Dec 16, 2015

In my state there are classes (taught by ((LVN)) Board approved providers) that teach IV therapy and blood withdrawal. This class is required for LVNs who want to get the certification noted on their licenses. Many RNs also take the class for the experience. You might want to check for such classes in your area just to get started. As previously stated, all your experience will come on the job.

LVN fresno · Dec 20, 2015

Starting IV's drawing blood and drawing ABG's are some of the things I had to take a class for after graduation. I learned how to start IV's and draw ABG's . I was good at both. Drawing blood i never mastered unless i did it when i was starting the IV.

Jrhemming · Dec 21, 2015

I had an excellent instructor for my final clinical that told me she would go along with me for any nursing skill I could find, but she wanted to know rationales and what the purpose was with the patients patho. Critical thinking is the most important thing. Employers want to know you can critically think. All the others skills can be easily learned.