AJPHILLS

You have been given some excellent advice. As a nurse of 30yrs and ER experience, I want to go back to basics: Make sure you're comfortable. Sit down, if possible, allow gravity to help you and allow the extremity to hang downward. This will cause some veinous pooling. Keep the ski taught. Start the IV low and slow in a steady forward motion. and most importantly, trust yourself! Don't automatically assume you missed...back the needle up just slightly and reangle slightly upward / downward or more toward the direction the vein is going then advance again. I do a lot of teaching, and these are game changers. NO BODY KNOWS YOUR SKILL SET. Breath and be confident. We all miss some days. YOU GOT THIS.

We have also started bedside reporting inthe ED approx 1 week ago today, I thin it's agreat chance to see your patient, correct anything that may need a 2 person assist (i.e. CODE BROWN), and quickly do a visual assessment for any emergent or urgent needs. Also the Slackers have to own up to their work or their lack of! We call our Program STEPPS