Never placed an IV!!!!!

DroogieRN · Jun 15, 2012

My nursing program was wonderful and we didn't get to do venipuncture. We had an in-service during hospital orientation and then, once hired, we were expected to look for opportunities to practice, and our preceptors did the same. Now, two years in, I could get an 18g in a rock.

Twinmom06, ASN, APN · Jun 15, 2012

How can any of you say that your school was "excellent" if you have zero knowledge about a skill which is critical to performing the job you went to school for?
I understand that some states don't allow practical hands-on patient experience by nursing students, but even in those situations, there should have been extensive dummy/fellow-student/cadaver training.
I did go to an excellent school at a large teaching university hospital. We had an indigent ward, where whenever someone died, nursing students and medical students lined up to place NG tubes, foleys, and any other invasive procedure we lacked skill on. Respect for the dead lost out on the need to train future health care providers.
It is disconcerting to hear about the lack of training of the future nurses of America.
What else didnt they teach you? Pharmacology? I'm sure I sound just awful and bitter to you, but I'm genuinely concerned about the quality of nursing that will be available when my family members are ill.
If I was the OP, I would contact the school and voice my concerns, while requesting they provide a lab course for future and past graduates, for all the skills you are lacking training in.

In PA it is against the law (because believe me we've ALL asked) to perform venipuncture or IV starts on a LIVE person while a student - it has NOTHING to do with the school - it has nothing to do with money...

there is no lab on it because the majority of the hospitals teach you during orientation.

That said some of the co-assigned nurses will allow it - just like some of the instructors will let you do IV push meds - which is also against the law.

trauma_lama, BSN · Jun 15, 2012

I can't imagine getting through my program with no practice. Yikes!

GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jun 15, 2012

seriously, in many teaching hospitals one gets the opportunity to be exposed to all kinds of practice which i did during my clinical program. however, it's not uncommon to find some new grads or even some established nurses in the filed, that don't know how to start an iv or perform phlebotomy on a pt. having said that, for whatever the reason they were never exposed per say, and in their present employment is not a requirement. in addition, i recently had a colleague of mine that we needed for her to cover med/surg. she works at the o/p clinic across the street and she took me aside and told me that she was a bit uncomfortable since she never had started an iv or drawn blood, and she noticed that this was a requirement on med.surg. needless to say, i made arrangements for her to take classes with the iv team. therefore, this subject doesn't surprise me at all :cool:

Asystole RN · Jun 16, 2012

I never inserted any type of IV while in nursing school.

I now am an Infusion/PICC nurses with a VA-BC

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Jun 16, 2012

I worked with a 30 something year veteran nurse who never did an iv. He never needed to. He floated to our floor and asked the charge nurse for help on it. Was fun teaching an old dog some new tricks.

ashley024 · Jun 16, 2012

I went through a PN program. We were required to become IV certified. We did a proficiency on the "arms" then spent a day in a clinical doing IV's.... As most facilities in my area do not allow lpn's to start an IV there are a couple that do. (as long as its below the elbow from what I recall)

minnymi · Jun 16, 2012

I went through a PN program. We were required to become IV certified. We did a proficiency on the "arms" then spent a day in a clinical doing IV's.... As most facilities in my area do not allow lpn's to start an IV there are a couple that do. (as long as its below the elbow from what I recall)

hmm...i've not seen an IV placed above the elbow.

I recall as a student that i stuck a patient and didn't get flashback and my preceptor took over and didn't get flashback either....and then someone spoke up and said "try his hand."

i said, "no, i'll let you do that." Hand = nerve damage = lawsuits.

Not something I was willing to do as a student.

ashley024 · Jun 16, 2012

hmm...i've not seen an IV placed above the elbow.
I recall as a student that i stuck a patient and didn't get flashback and my preceptor took over and didn't get flashback either....and then someone spoke up and said "try his hand."
i said, "no, i'll let you do that." Hand = nerve damage = lawsuits.
Not something I was willing to do as a student.

I should wait to reply to provide proper terminology but oh well. I've seen IV's in the upper arm near the axilla. Also the feet and scalps of babies. As well as other locations.

We did ours in the hands. The patients were asked if they would allow a student and in general everyone said yes. And most of those were incredibly kind and congratulated us on getting the IV in and school in general.

minnymi · Jun 16, 2012

I should wait to reply to provide proper terminology but oh well. I've seen IV's in the upper arm near the axilla. Also the feet and scalps of babies. As well as other locations.
We did ours in the hands. The patients were asked if they would allow a student and in general everyone said yes. And most of those were incredibly kind and congratulated us on getting the IV in and school in general.

the general rule is 'start low and work up,' but being as though i'm aware of the potential damage of hand IVs...i avoid them. anytime i started an IV as a student, the patient wasn't "asked" if they would allow it. i did clinicals at a teaching hospital. when you ask someone...that gives them the opportunity to say, "no." see my previous thread where i mention waltzing in as if i knew what i was doing.

ashley024 · Jun 16, 2012

the general rule is 'start low and work up,' but being as though i'm aware of the potential damage of hand IVs...i avoid them. anytime i started an IV as a student, the patient wasn't "asked" if they would allow it. i did clinicals at a teaching hospital. when you ask someone...that gives them the opportunity to say, "no." see my previous thread where i mention waltzing in as if i knew what i was doing.

I can totally understand that. I suppose we just do things differently here. (small town USA) Anytime we had the chance to do something that a patient may be iffy about a student doing our instructor would ask. It saved time especially if we got all our supplies and they refused. I also was confident while performing different skills especially IV's as it was something I looked forward to.

minnymi · Jun 16, 2012

I can totally understand that. I suppose we just do things differently here. (small town USA) Anytime we had the chance to do something that a patient may be iffy about a student doing our instructor would ask. It saved time especially if we got all our supplies and they refused. I also was confident while performing different skills especially IV's as it was something I looked forward to.

i live in "small town USA" also, but maybe it has to do with the fact that my school was known as being one of the best medical schools in the nation. i've mentioned in previous threads...i think people were happy to see someone with my school's ID coming toward them.

i'm just saying....if you act like a newbie and you're introduced as a "student" then it makes people nervous. i would ask tons of questions right outside the patient's door, but walk in and say, "hi, i'm jane, i need to start an IV..." as if i had been doing it for years. then, if i needed help after trying....i would ask. worked for me.