Infusion50

I am so glad to hear that! And please don't stress about your skill level. ALL OF IT will come in time. Be confident in yourself enough in understanding that you at least know when to ask questions and get clarifications. No one expects you to be an ...

It's been a while. Just wondering how you folks are doing in your new roles?

Hi bebe101, Infusion nursing does seem to be a specialty that is difficult to get info on. I think that's because most(but not all) infusion nurses are a subspecialty coming out of oncology. Infusion specific jobs are usually associated with Cancer C...

Hi NYRN and BrownLuxe, I see no one has responded so I will give you my 2cents. I've tried 6 different specialties in my 30+ years as an RN and can tell you that Infusion nursing has been my favorite for many reasons. I wish I had discovered it soo...

Hello Jenapos, I know its been a while but I was curious about your choice and how you are enjoying your new job. I have experience in both specialties and can say that my Infusion Unit position is one that I love and wished I had explored much earli...

To all the experienced PICC nurses out there...Will you please share your tried and true tricks of the trade for getting your PICC tip pass the axilla and also to drop down toward the CAJ? I've been doing PICCs for about 1 yr now. I only have approx...

Hi there Kindatheart35, I work at an infusion center. When I got the job, they paid the fees for me to take an on-line PICC course through BARD. We use their PICC products. After I completed the on-line course, I then had to spend a few weeks with t...

If any of you are still reading this post, I have another dilemma requiring advice please. I had 2 challenging PICC accesses yesterday on bariatric patients who had TONS of flabby tissue hampering my needle access. What tricks do you use to prevent t...

Let me put another question out there for all you generous PICC nurses... With the Sherlock Sapiens 3CG technology, do you always place your needle into the needle guide or do you have the best shot free-handing the needle? I was trained to ALWAYS us...

Thank you mta1976! Everyone responding to my original question has been so helpful! Just last week, I have employed several tips with great success. The question I have is...How do you know you are near nerves? Using my Sherlock Sapiens 3CG, I can ...

There was a time I would agree with you IVRUS. But for the purposes of having a "looksee" for a student who won't be doing many Central Line dressings or seeing PICC insertions for a while, it's really not such a bad idea to just see what might be in...

WOW! I'm a nurse for 30+ yrs and would never agree to that kind of staffing. We are never without 2 RNs in our small infusion center. Usually there is 3 of us. Transfusions are labor intensive. If you have other pts on the floor, you need to monitor ...

Check out You Tube for TONS of IV insertion demos, PICC management techniques and central line dressings. You will be surprised by how informative they can be. Many of them are produced by nursing schools.

I agree with you IVRUS, however, I have a hard time getting docs to order that. When they do, I only get 1mg out of them which doesn't really do the trick for many of my pts. Have you found that? When they do order for you, how many mgs of Ativan do ...

Thank you to everyone who has responded.You all have generously provided a wonderful compilation of tips that could not be found anywhere else! I will be sharing this thread and checking in regularly for anything new.

Thank you VascularNurse! I will definitely give that one a try! It makes perfect sense to use gravity to help the line drop. About midlines.....I always wondered what folks are talking about when they say to use the PICC as a midline. I have never...

Yes , I agree Ellie. I use blankets and towels to cushion and immobilize the arm. Sometimes my pts can't outward rotate or extend their arms all the way though...makes things a lot more challenging.

Thank you ILUVIVT! When I need to do the time-out and drape the pt, I use the call bell to get someone in the room and make then stay until that process is done (they often leave the room at this point.) Then I keep the call bell hidden under the s...

Thanks Ellie, I will definitely give that a try. I have hyperextended the arm a bit before but never to the extent you mentioned. It makes sense though.

Thank you so much for the quick response IVRUS!!! I misspoke regarding the axilla thing..... I meant to write PICC catheter. When you have the patient tuck their chin in, do you also have them turn their head toward you? I was taught to have the pt...

Nurses smoking weed? Why? How does it benefit anyone let alone nurses (not talking about medical marijuana here)? Certainly we've been educated about healthier measures to relax and de-stress. Let's use our expertise to "nurse" ourselves.

I have recently changed my specialty at age 50 and absolutely LOVE it! I took a part-time position in a small infusion center. As an ADN with previous experience in ICU/CCU/NICU/Homecare, it was still difficult finding positions in my area teaching h...

Just prior to nursing school, I was trained by a small town dentist to assist him at chairside. That experience led me away from dentistry. While in nursing school, I worked as a rectory cook for 4 priests during weekday evenings and a casino entert...

Thank you soooo much for those pointers HMarie!!! Your tip about being careful with the probe pressure was especially helpful. I have had about 10 successful inserts so far. But for several times I could not advance the wire even though I SWORE I was...

Allentown, Pa area...New RNs approx $24/Hr. 10-15yrs experience as a hospital RN is approx $27-$30/Hr. Those floor nurses in my circle who have >30 yrs full time work are only at about $33-$35/ hr but have almost 8 weeks of PTO. They tell me tha...