Really bad at Starting IVs

[Lady_Bing]

Hi everyone,

I am a new nurse on a busy medical floor and I am just two weeks off orientation. I am having a really hard time starting IVs, I did not get an opportunity to start many IVs in nursing school and now when I am on the floor I find myself feeling handicapped in that department. I read a number of posts on the boards and found really useful tips, and I am now able to see and touch the vein, but I am having a hard time finding the vein with my needle/catheter. And even when I get the blood return, I am having a hard time advancing the catheter into the vein without blowing it. I realize that there is an art/techinique/ to starting IVs and I need experience, but I am feeling very frustrated because despite getting practice, I am not really improving. Please help.

[rgroyer1RNBSN, BSN, RN]

I agree with ruffles also the new safety caths which I know are for are protection just dont seem to be as sharp as the jelco's we used to have and its really bad when you have someone with tough skin, I even have trouble putting our huge 18's and 16's in er and sicu in people with thick skin, the old ones it used to be just wham and they where in now its like trying to push them through leather!

[sshannon]

New nurse here. Been following our best IV starter into rooms when he's called in to do a stick everyone else is missing. One thing he does that I haven't seen mentioned here is that, unless it's contraindicated, he sits the patient up in high Fowler's. And he puts the tournaquet on TIGHT! Then, believe it or not, he starts singing. The patients love it and he says it relaxes him for the stick. He's amazingly good.