Student is a hemophiliac who's mom works on campus. She used my office to infuse her son today after he hit his arm last night and she noticed a decrease in ROM. When she couldn't get access after two attempts she passed the baton to me. Not to brag or anything, but after being off the floor for 7+ months, I nailed it, first try! It was fun to show off a little and let them see that I'm not just some regular staff member. I come with a set of skills that is often not seen in the school!
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
I loved starting IVs. It took me a long time to "get it", but once I did I became very good very fast. It was fun to get calls from the ICU to come place an IV because the patient was a hard stick and they couldn't get a line in. I never did get a chance to learn to place PICC lines though; there was only one or two nurses from my floor who were trained, and the management was apparently not interested in training anyone else.
That is the thing I miss most about being in the school setting. My daughter is an ER nurse and lets me poke her every now and then so I can assure myself that I still can!
That is the thing I miss most about being in the school setting. My daughter is an ER nurse and lets me poke her every now and then so I can assure myself that I still can!
Mr. Wine has WONDERFUL veins. He let me practice in him when I was in nursing school, and when we go to donate blood if it's the tech we know she lets me poke him :)
I unfortunately am the person that requires that special team to come in to place an IV.
My husband used to sell this special syringe that could draw blood, go in the centrifuge and then come out able to inject platelet rich plasma. He can't draw blood, and most of the docs he dealt with did not have anyone on staff that could. He would always say "I might know a girl...". And then call me in to the doc's office just to draw blood and leave. I guess it sounds creepy but I always loved just walking in, snapping gloves on, stabbing someone, and leaving.
I miss IVs too, but I've never had to place on children. Just on elderly patients with rolling/valvey/tiny veins, but I was getting so good at it! It must have felt great to get to show off your nurse superpowers in an unexpected situation. Kudos to you!!
A few months after I retired from a Level 3 NICU, where I started lots of IVs, I went to work @ a smaller Level 2; came the day I needed an IV on a roly poly newborn, and I got it, 1st stick! I looked around to see where the cheering section might be, but, as usual, there wasn't one! Bummer.
KKEGS, MSN, RN
723 Posts
AWESOME!!!
I was never a great IV starter. I loved doing arterial blood draws. THAT was my jam. :)