You're Going to Practice on ME?!?!

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I'm looking into Masters Entry programs, and have a friend who is currently receiving her BSN in an accelerated program. Apparently they have to practice injections and IVs on each other! Is this true of all nursing programs? Ack! :uhoh3:

If I have a choice at all, I will decline. I do not want anyone who doesnt know what they are doing poking on me.

I never had a fear of needles until one day...when I gave blood to the RC and I watched them put the needle in. It looked like I could park my truck up inside of it. I wont say that I'm afraid of them, but I don't get back as often as I used too.

we did Intradermal and SC but nothing else.

At the EMS program I attended, the course coordinator had no gag reflex and would let students place the laryngoscope in his mouth and look at airway structures. You couldn't elevate the epiglottis or see cords, but got to see at least some of the stuff.

Specializes in Going to Peds!.
My instructor last semester is about 179 years old, and when she was in NS, they did EVERYTHING on each other. NG tubes and enemas included. Talk about the bonding experience.:(

I didn't like my classmates enough to care to be that close to them. :lol2: I don't have a fear of needles, but I cannot watch you insert the needle. I give blood on a regular basis, but I do not watch the insertion. After it's in there, I can watch the blood flow. It always amazes me how "warm" it feels when it first rushes into the tubing taped to my arm. Yes, I'm weird.

Well, I'm also a pre-hospital RN and I didn't practice intubations on my partner, nor did I practice place intraosseous needles on my grandson. I still would have refused.

Now Trauma, you know intubation and intraosseous needle sticks aren't comparable to IM injx and IV starts. In fact, if they were, RN's could do 'em. So I am not sure what point you were trying to make. :trout:

But I digress.

One semester in our clinical rotation, we had the option of starting IV's on each other, but only if our fellow student agreed. And not if they refused.

I think I'd be one of the "refusers"! ;)

Specializes in OR Internship starting in Jan!!.

It is a little strange, isn't it? Heh.

Specializes in PICU, surgical post-op.

We practiced on fake arms in school, which was no help in the real world. The first time I started an IV on a human, with my instructor watching closely over my shoulder, my patient asked "So, am I your first?" My instructor gave me a pat on the back for calmly threading the catheter and saying "If you've done one, you've done a hundred."

My "skills" deserted me once I started my job in PICU though. Kiddos are tough, man! But I had a willing friend or 2 on the unit who let me practice on them when I hit a mental block and missed like 5 kids in a row. We usually only get to try once on my unit when we're learning - no point in blowing all the kid's veins. But when a big, healthy trauma or an OD comes in, they still call me in to start a second, just for the practice.

We practiced on fake arms in school, which was no help in the real world. The first time I started an IV on a human, with my instructor watching closely over my shoulder, my patient asked "So, am I your first?" My instructor gave me a pat on the back for calmly threading the catheter and saying "If you've done one, you've done a hundred."

My "skills" deserted me once I started my job in PICU though. Kiddos are tough, man! But I had a willing friend or 2 on the unit who let me practice on them when I hit a mental block and missed like 5 kids in a row. We usually only get to try once on my unit when we're learning - no point in blowing all the kid's veins. But when a big, healthy trauma or an OD comes in, they still call me in to start a second, just for the practice.

I wouldn't mind a qualified student practicing on me if they let me use them. I think it would be a very helpful way of getting over the jitters. I already tease my kids that they will be my guinea pigs, I have one son who has been thru a lot medically and hates needles! So that comment is always good for a good tantrum or two hehehehee.

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Jov - what I was getting at was that practicing ANY PROCEDURE on each other is not necessary. That is what clinicals are for.

And, btw, RNs do place interosseous needles as well as intubate. It just depends on the environment. My remark was made as a pre-hospital RN and yes, in the pre-hospital environment, I certainly do these procedures. (When I made my remarks, it was after an EMT had said something about pre-hospital care).

Hope that clarifies things.

In the 70's we did practice on each other, at least IV's. If not your fellow student, then who should the practice subject be? WE have to learn skills somehow and somewhere.

I also went to school in the 70's, we did practice practically everything on each other. Everyone had the option of refusing to be the "patient". It was a great learning experience! We got to practice with fellow classmates (people we trusted) and learned how it felt being poked and prodded.

So when I tell my patients, I know exactly how this feels I am not lying.

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