Positions With Most IV Start Experience

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Specializes in New grad.
Positions With Most IV Start Experience

New grad just received my license. When applying for new grad positions I would like to work where I would receive the most experience with starting IVs both inpatient and/or outpatient. I am interested in going into home & clinic infusion therapy in the future. Can any experienced nurses tell me where you worked that you performed the most IV starts?

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Specializes in Emergency.

I’ve never worked anywhere but ER. But ER.  I would guess that same day, and ppl coming in for outpatient CT scans with contrast all need IV access as well but if you’re talking pure volume of IV sticks per shift I can’t think of a better place than the ER. 

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Preop. Every surgical patient needs an IV.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing, Nurse leader.

I would say the Emergency Department, a huge percent of arrivals get IVs placed and most urban ED's see hundreds of patients a day!

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Specializes in Infusion, Med/Surg/Tele, Outpatient.

Pre-op or pre-GI lab. If ultimately you want to go to outpatient or home infusion, dehydrated patients needing access outside of the AC are good building blocks to becoming very good with difficult sticks. Also, aseptic technique for accessing mediports and central line dressing changes is vital. 

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Pre- op definitely helped increase my confidence in IV starts.

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Specializes in OR 35 years; crosstrained ER/ICU/PACU.

Definitely Pre-Op or ER.  I was an OR RN for most of my 40 years, & started a ton of IV’s there (evening shift - lots of trauma & acute/emergent patients needing extra IV access), as well as throughout the hospital.  The Nursing Supervisor often called on me to start a tough stick.  Maybe your facility has an IV Team?  I was also a Medic for 10 years (concurrently while OR RN) so I got a lot of experience starting IV’s in pretty extenuating circumstances out in the field.  Wishing you the best of luck! ?

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In a single ER shift if I have 15 patients, 13-14 of them will need an IV. 
in a busy and high acuity ER you could easily do 20 in a shift if you make a point to help your teammates by starting their Lines for them. 

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