My boyfriend is letting me practice IV starts on him!

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Specializes in EC, IMU, LTAC.

I royally stink at starting IVs. I've only been an RN for 6 months, and my first job was at an LTAC where everyone had PICC lines and Port-a-Caths. Now I just started work at a major regional hospital and am royally embarrassed by my lack of IV proficiency. I'm not going to go into detail at how horrible I am. I really didn't get much experience in nursing school either, and we weren't allowed to practice on each other. Man, nursing school was fluff compared to the real world.

However, I talked to my boyfriend. I told him that I'd forgive a debt of $150 if he allowed me to practice on him. He refused the money and told me that he wants me to succeed in my career. Isn't he just the greatest sport? I have several people to thank for helping me get my career on the road, but this is incredible. He's willing to be my little pink pincushion so patients don't have to suffer my incompetence!

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Specializes in Adult Acute Care Medicine.

Very nice gesture on the part of your boyfriend...

Your words make me all the more grateful that I work at a major hospital which has an IV team.

Good luck to you, I am sure you will be fine.

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I royally stink at starting IVs. I've only been an RN for 6 months, and my first job was at an LTAC where everyone had PICC lines and Port-a-Caths. Now I just started work at a major regional hospital and am royally embarrassed by my lack of IV proficiency. I'm not going to go into detail at how horrible I am. I really didn't get much experience in nursing school either, and we weren't allowed to practice on each other. Man, nursing school was fluff compared to the real world.

However, I talked to my boyfriend. I told him that I'd forgive a debt of $150 if he allowed me to practice on him. He refused the money and told me that he wants me to succeed in my career. Isn't he just the greatest sport? I have several people to thank for helping me get my career on the road, but this is incredible. He's willing to be my little pink pincushion so patients don't have to suffer my incompetence!

Out of curiosity, where are you getting the supplies to start IV's?

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Specializes in EC, IMU, LTAC.

You know how you accidentally leave work with stuff in your pockets? I had some lab vacutainers, needles, IV caths, saline flushes and other various things that I'd dump in a case in my car after work and forget about. After I left my last job, I cleaned out my car and found the odds and ends. A lab tech friend got me a few things like IV extensions, I didn't ask where she got them.

I don't have a lot of supplies, but I'm going to try to get some of my boyfriend's more elusive veins to get the most out of what I have.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho.

Don't forget about the risk of infection you are possibly subjecting your BF to. You can get plenty of practice at a hospital by asking other co-workers for opportunities to start IVs. That's what I did and in no time, I was IV queen. It's actually very easy once you've done a few.

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