Practicing on each other

belladelicious · Mar 2, 2004

Umm, so are you going to stick any of your patients?? We are at risk every day, and don't know who has something and who doesn't. You protect yourself just like you would with a patient. Am I missing something?? :uhoh21:

Hm..I was saying, personally, I don't think it's necessary to practice on eachother giving injections....b/c doing it on the models is good enough for me. I don't think it's very difficult, and the model is good enough for me. Where as w/IVs I'm worried, b/c the models are so much easier than real people.

Ortho_RN · Mar 2, 2004

Geesh.. I just don't see what the big deal is.. All this junk about HIV and Hepatitis being the reasons you don't practice on each other... Are you not gonna be sticking HIV and Hep patients.. Sure you will.. I pretty sure your classmates are 100x cleaner/safer than what some of your patients are gonna be.

I couldn't imagine going in to start an IV on a patient having only practiced on a worthless rubber arm. Unless the veins in that arm move around, disappear etc,,, You are wasting your time..

jschut, BSN, RN · Mar 2, 2004

In LPN school, we had the choice of sticking each other or the mannequin. I had a great buddy who always let me stick her....me? I am such a chicken! bUT WE MADE IT THROUGH....(sorry 'bout the caps...)

Let me tell you something though. Even if you do practice on each other, it doesn't help when you are out there on your own and having to do it to a patient. You will still be nervous and scared. Ease comes with time. Injections are a breeze for me now, but IV's (which I've done my fair share of) still make me nervous.

opalmRN · Mar 2, 2004

I don't understand why people are "shocked" when reading that students practice on students. You would rather enter clinicals and stick a frightened child, or a dehydrated elderly woman with not a vein in sight?? You need a little practice, even if it's one or two sticks, before you attempt a real patient, even if it's just to get the look of fright off your face. At least we could say, "no, this is not my first time."

IV and Phlebotomy team. That is what we call them at our hospital.

truern · Mar 2, 2004

we gave and received our first subq injections today...no dummy arm could compare to living breathing subjects..jmho :)

heck, i think drawing up the med without air bubbles is a bigger feat than injecting it..hehe

rnmi2004 · Mar 2, 2004

We only practiced non-invasive procedures on each other--VS, ambulation, transfers. Our lab has lovely mannequins and creepy disembodied arms (with kool-aid flowing thru them) to practice NG tubes, Foleys, IV starts, blood draws, etc. I guess it helps to get your basic technique down, but it can't come close to practicing on a live person.

I did have one clinical instructor who volunteered her arm for the 10 of us in her group to practice intradermals, but none of us wanted to stick her so we ended up practicing on each other.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Mar 2, 2004

In the schools where students aren't allowed to practice on each other, it's purely a liability issue, like someone said. YES in actual practice we might be sticking patients with HIV and hepatitis, etc. But that's one of the risks we take by working in the medical profession. The schools figure that if someone gets something from another student in skills lab, that is an unnecessary risk that was taken.

We gave plenty of injections to patients in clinicals, and some of the clinical instructors did actually let students try for IVs even though the school really wasn't behind that practice. But everything was a necessary stick to provide actual healthcare and medications.

I think nursing schools are just split 50/50 on this issue is all.

sabRN2b05, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2004

This may freak some people out, but does anyone think that it would be easier practicing on a cadaver rather than a mannequin? Anyone know any nursing schools that let you practice on cadavers?

HAPPYNPROUD · Mar 3, 2004

Did you have to stick/be stuck by other students in nursing school. I am okay with being practiced on with blood draws and shots but I cannot imagine having someone practice an IV on me. I really hate IV's. I know our school has a simulated patient but I want to know if I am going to get stuck. My godmother is an RN and she had to but that was 30 years ago.
Thanks,
Andrea

In LPN school, we were able to practice on the fake arm....but i also went to medical assisting school, and we started practicing venipuncture on the third day of class. completing distance adn program now, so i'm missing out on all that fun stuff :sniff:

irishrose53 · Mar 3, 2004

we don't practice any needles, IVs, NGs or anything really on each other. Especially not drawing blood or IV cath insertion...we need special training for that...eek!

Where do you get the special training? On the poor patient?

Achoo!, LPN · Mar 3, 2004

This may freak some people out, but does anyone think that it would be easier practicing on a cadaver rather than a mannequin? Anyone know any nursing schools that let you practice on cadavers?

It wouldn't seem the same to me. The tissue after rigormortis sets in isn't as soft, plus the veins wouldn't pop out you know? I don't know that it would help.

FutureNurse2005 · Mar 4, 2004

The school that I will hopefully be going to has a cadaver lab just for the nursing department. I dont know how much it'll help with injections/IV's, but it'll sure help out in other areas!

I'd be ok with getting stuck by a fellow student. we gotta have some trust and faith in each other, and there is nothing better than helping each other out. kwim?

anyway, if its a policy to not do it, I would understand that as well.

sigh...I cant wait to get there!!!