Question about IV certification

[Skwidward]

I'm a new grad LPN, and I went for an interview today at my local hospital. I got offered the Job

But one thing concerned me. I kept asking the director about whether they provide IV certification (I believe LPNs need this legally to start IVs), and she never said yes. She just kept referring me to the competency based orientation....i.e. one of the competencies states "Complete IV therapy certification as per nursing policy and procedure to include 3 successful venipunctures." Apparently my preceptor will sign off on my competency sheet for each of the 3 IVs I start. However, she didn't ever say, "Yes after you do this, you'll be certified." She said something along the lines of, "LPNs can start IVs if an RN is supervising."

When she took me down to the education center, I even asked the lady there if they provide IV certification, she was like "Uhg..." Then the director jumped in and told me that everything in the competencies packet/list is within the practice of an LPN. Fair enough, but that still didn't answer my question.

The hours are going to be very harsh....nights 7am-7pm 2 days on, two days off. I'm hesitant to take this job now, because I feel like they get new grad LPNs to complete these competencies and think they are getting IV certified when they're not or they just rely on the new grad being ignorant of the fact that they must be certified to perform IVs independently.

Of course it's my responsibility to make sure I'm certified, but I just wanted to know whether I could get certified at this hospital. I would rather she'd have told me, "Look, you gotta sort that out on your own. We don't offer it here," or "Yeah, sure. We do certify you when you complete the competencies."

She did neither, and every time I asked the same question, I got the same rhetoric. I just think if they were providing the IV certification, she would have given me a straight yes, but she didn't.

When ever you ask someone a yes or no question and they just start on about something else then say something like, "Don't worry about it. You'll be comfortable with it," it makes me wonder.

I'm tempted to call the education center at the hospital and ask them about it, but I don't want this director to feel like I've gone behind her back. I could tell already she was getting frustrated at me for asking the same question again and again. Maybe I missed the point and the competency part counts as my certification. I don't know.

any advice?

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

any advice?

My advice is to take an IV therapy class on your own time, and with your own money if you're fed up with the hazy replies from the hospital.

[Skwidward]

my advice is to take an iv therapy class on your own time, and with your own money if you're fed up with the hazy replies from the hospital.

i've had a quick look around, and i can't find anywhere round here that offers such a class.

do you know if it is required for lpn/lvn's to posses certification to administer iv therapy?

a friend has my npa book, and i'm getting back sometime today. however, i found this on the net ftp://www.bne.state.tx.us/january07/7-5-1.pdf

and if you scroll down to 15.3 "lvn's engaging in iv therapy..." it pretty much says that the board does not define or set qualifications for an official "iv certification." it says that the lvn must ensure she receives adequate training on policy and procedure at any particular facility before negaging in iv therapy, and that the lvn must follow certain "basic" rules of the npa..i.e. know why the med's are being given, ensure pt safety etc.

it states that the lvn's ability to perform iv therapy is "up to facility policy."

so i guess that means the iv therapy part of my orientation competencies would suffice.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

i've had a quick look around, and i can't find anywhere round here that offers such a class.

do you know if it is required for lpn/lvn's to posses certification to administer iv therapy?

a friend has my npa book, and i'm getting back sometime today. however, i found this on the net ftp://www.bne.state.tx.us/january07/7-5-1.pdf

and if you scroll down to 15.3 "lvn's engaging in iv therapy..." it pretty much says that the board does not define or set qualifications for an official "iv certification." it says that the lvn must ensure she receives adequate training on policy and procedure at any particular facility before negaging in iv therapy, and that the lvn must follow certain "basic" rules of the npa..i.e. know why the med's are being given, ensure pt safety etc.

it states that the lvn's ability to perform iv therapy is "up to facility policy."

so i guess that means the iv therapy part of my orientation competencies would suffice.

are you working in texas? i am asking, because the linked thread regarding iv therapy comes from the texas bne website, so it only is applicable to texas lvns.

[rizza]

If you go on your states board of nursing I think it should show the facilities they except for IV therapy and blood draw. The CA board offers that info maybe yours does too.

[Skwidward]

Are you working in Texas? I am asking, because the linked thread regarding IV therapy comes from the Texas BNE website, so it only is applicable to Texas LVNs.

Yeah, I'm in Texas.

So basically with what that says, if I complete my competencies and follow the facilites policy and procedure, I'm good.

I think