REALLY, really silly question

[Sugar-Phosphate]

Hi,

I was wondering, in nursing school do you practice doing things on each other. I.E. catheters, IV's etc.

I know for police in order to use tasers and pepper spray they have to endure the pain first. Phlebotomists also learn to take blood from each other in school. I was just curious. I know this may be a stupid unethical question, but I am curious.

N.

[Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN]

We started IV's on each other in LPN school, but only after signing a form to release the school from any liability.

[ziggysgal,RN]

As far as I know, we do not practice anything invasive on each other in my LVN program. We did 'team up' for transfers... practiced VS and assessments on each other and our clinical patients... honestly, though, I haven't heard anything about sticking each other. That isn't covered until next semester, though, so perhaps it just hasn't come up.

I feel sorry for those who have to do bed baths on each other. I'm not sure I could handle my classmates seeing me in anything but full dress.

[suanna]

In the dark ages this was much more common. I went to school in the 80's and we gave IMs to each other with NS. It was about 1990 that all that stopped at the programs in my area. It's a shame. I can't imagine there being a significant number of problems with a NS IM given under the close observation of the instructor. It made us much more comfortable to give one to a patient when there was so much else to worry about. I did practice blood draws and IV skills on my wife while I was in school, but it wasn't sanctioned of even hinted at as an option by the school. Head to toe assessment was and is still being done- but I'm not sure about breast or especially pelvic exams on fellow students. (Pelvic wasn't allowed as far back as anyone I know can remember.) One of our instructors explained the practice wasn't just to develop skills but to get over "body anxiety" before we had the added stress of doing some tasks in the clinical area. It did help.

[gumby1411]

This seems to be a theme that comes up every few months...

In my ABSN program, we practice head to toe assessments and vitals on each other. For heart and lung assessments, we did take our shirts off (with a partner of the same gender, bra on with gown over it, in an exam room, just the two of us, with the door closed). We had the choice to take our shirts off or leave them on, but it was much easier to hear without the shirt in the way. We did chemsticks on each other, too, but no IVs, NG tubes, or anything like that.