OMG.Do Nursing students really practice on eachother??

Nurses General Nursing

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I entered "nursing school" on youtube and came across a few videos of nursing students practicing Iv's and injections on one another.I had no idea this was done in nursing school! What if a student makes a mistake and you get injured? Ok im being negative..But what if?? Are the students skillfull enough to practice on one another so early into the program??

Specializes in Progressive Care.

I just graduated in December 2006 and we practiced IV's on each other. We were not required to but we could at clinical sites and we did.

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Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..

When I was in school, our class practiced suctioning, head to toe assessment, bed baths, the vital signs, and simulated blood draws, and injections.. I also had a classmate who had a husband who let her practice everything on him.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Sim Man is for practicing skills on, not each other.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

I graduated in the spring and we did not practice IV's in class, but in one clinical the instructor let us do it cause NONE of us had ever drawn blood or started an IV before (we were seniors). I think it was GREAT experience and a great way to get over those first time jitters. And there is no more risk of getting HIV/AIDS/Hep etc in practice than there is in reality. We wore gloves and used all new sterile equipment (used it then tossed it, just like real life).

We also practiced bedbaths on eachother but we wore shorts and tanktops/tshirts.

I value this hands on experience. I've been a nurse since may and I JUST gave my first IM injection to an adult (had only given one to a baby before, and only once). I think that practicing on a dummy is nothing like the real thing :)

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Specializes in Assisted Living Nurse Manager.

I graduated May 2006 and yes we practiced injections, eye drops, head to toe assessments on each other. During my IV cert class we practiced on a fake arm, but then had to have two successful starts on each other. I did not mind, I have veins that stand out and of course the instructor was right there with us the whole time.

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Specializes in Day Surgery, Agency, Cath Lab, LTC/Psych.

The class before mine was the last to practice NG's on each other--imagine that one!!!

:eek: That would be horrible!

We practiced bed baths (clothed, of course), vital signs, physical assessments, dressing changes, and venipuncture. We did IM injections on one another during the flu shot season as well.

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I entered "nursing school" on youtube and came across a few videos of nursing students practicing Iv's and injections on one another.I had no idea this was done in nursing school! What if a student makes a mistake and you get injured? Ok im being negative..But what if?? Are the students skillfull enough to practice on one another so early into the program??

we practice on each other at our school. We have to have when we get ready to enter our nursing program. For this and for while we are working in clinical situations. It can be nerve racking at times, but there are just so many things you can do on a mannequin. We do sponge baths, teeth, IVs, assessments, daily living, etc. It is nice to practice on a human vs. a mannequin before going into clinical situations with clients/patients.

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school wouldn't let us.

hubby did.

leslie

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We, too, practiced IV insertion in our LPN program. We first practiced on oranges, then each other. Our instructors even let us try on them. Of course, we didn't have to, but everyone in my class took advantage of the offer. We signed waivers, too. It was a great experience. We each also spent one day during clinicals with our local hospital's IV team. They let us practice, too, as long as the patient was okay with it. One particular guy was especially great. He could find a vein in a rock. We learned a lot from him.

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Specializes in NICU.
Sim Man is for practicing skills on, not each other.

Maybe for the first time, but definately not for refresher skills. It's like, let me stick the needle in this vein that is visibly bulging and has 100 other sticks in it...

We did get an opportunity to stick each other but you were allowed to decline.

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I entered "nursing school" on youtube and came across a few videos of nursing students practicing Iv's and injections on one another.I had no idea this was done in nursing school! What if a student makes a mistake and you get injured? Ok im being negative..But what if?? Are the students skillfull enough to practice on one another so early into the program??
Back in the dark ages (early 80's) during my LPN schooling, we did indeed practice on each other. Injections (no IVs... LPNs at our hospital were not allowed to do IVs) but we did IM, SC and intradermals, dressings, and (get this) complete bedbaths (we were allowed to keep our panties on--- woohoo). Everything we did to a patient was done on us first. Except enemas. Thank God. We were even made to taste some medications (I'll never forget the student who gave undiluted KCl solution--- we were ALL made to drink that nasty stuff. And NEVER have I forgotten to dilute it)

By the time I entered my RN program, fear of liability nipped that in the bud, I guess.

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Specializes in CNA.

My class just practiced bed bathing(weren't naked) on each other today. We do vital signs, and we will be doing injections on each other later on in the program. I think it's a great learning experience to flip the script and put ourselves in the patient's shoes.

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