Plzzzz small help needed friends...

Published

Hi how is everyone doing> I am actually very stressed out because my clinical instructor will be monitoring me on Wednesday to give IV meds for a midterm evaluation. My simple questions are: Thank you all very much!!!:)Please replies needed ASAP....:)

1. If your giving IV meds into the primary line, do you have to flush with saline or just alcohol swab and deliver the med through a syringe.

2. If your going to start the IV pump to hang the secondary bag (med), do you clamp everything and then stop the pump or vice versa.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

for number 1 I am not a patient yet but i have been a patient and my nurses usually flush push med and flush i asked why and they said some things cant mix in the line so if it was only saline that was running they wouldnt need to flush but if meds are running they need to same reasoning for flushing after, as well as making sure all the med is given

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC.

#1- ALWAYS make sure you have a patent line 1st. Wipe hep/saline lock with alcohol, give med at proper rate and ALWAYS flush after administering a med. Also make sure you have clamped the infusion while doing all of this and remember to unclamp and set back to necessary rate when finished. ALWAYS make sure infusion is running prior to leaving room.

#2- If you hang secondary by piggyback there is no need to worry about either. Secondar will start running when primary is empty. If you are using a 2 channel alaris type pump then you can add secondary without having to do anything to primary. ALWAYS verify compatibility prior to running 2 of anything. If unsure, check and check again. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

As far as your instructor goes, if you have been doing what you are supposed to do and not using "shortcuts", you will do just fine. Instructors know that their watchful eye can make anyone nervous. Besides, their job is to be there and intervene when needed and teach always. With that being said, nothing worse then getting caught using "shortcuts" by your instructor...save that for when you get in to the real world of nursing. take a deep breath and do your thang.:D

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Alcohol swab always first and always flush to make sure your IV line is patent. You don't want to just assume a line is good, only to find out later that your patient's hand is swollen like a baseball mitt because of infiltration. Once your secondary bag is primed, clamped and ready to go - pause the IV pump. Our Alaris pumps have a secondary option so I'm not sure if it will be the same for you. But what I do is pause the IV currently running, hit the "secondary" button and put in the appropriate settings. Then make sure you open up the secondary IV line's clamp before you let the IV run. Don't forget to hang the primary IV bag LOWER than your secondary. Think of the secondary medicine as a "piggyback" medicine riding on top of the primary bag.

Hope this helps.

If there's a lab at your school, you should definitely go and practice.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
#2- If you hang secondary by piggyback there is no need to worry about either. Secondar will start running when primary is empty.

Are you sure about that? If everything is gravity flow, the secondary hangs higher than the primary and thus has greater force than the primary infusion. The secondary piggy back will run until it's empty, then the primary, now without competition, will start running again.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Always remember that when you are flushing after you have given an IVP med that the medication is still in the line. If it is something that has to be pushed slow, then you need to flush slow or you have just pushed the several mls of med that was left in the line too fast....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC.
Are you sure about that? If everything is gravity flow, the secondary hangs higher than the primary and thus has greater force than the primary infusion. The secondary piggy back will run until it's empty, then the primary, now without competition, will start running again.

You are correct, sorry for any confusion. Thats what I get for trying to explain something without visualizing it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

OP, try this link...

http://www.youtube.com/user/hawknurse#p/u/8/BwbEI23DIpE

actually lots else here that might help you too!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank you so much for your help! It really helped me! Thanks...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion