Students Drawing Blood/Inserting IVS in MD?

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Jul 24, 2004

Well I'm sorry I am not answering the question that began this thread, and I hope I am not going against any message board regulations but I was so happy to read these responses. Ok I know drawing blood should be something we are taught, but I gotta tell you before I read this thread I pretty much thought my first month of school would be sticking needles in people for IVs or drawing samples! I figured by semester 3 I would at least be doing sutures? no? yes? anyone?

You gotta walk before you run. If you have clinical the first month of school, expect to learn the basics... how to communicate with patients, how to make an occupied bed, how to give a bed bath, how to navigate through a chart, etc. In short, you learn how to perform the work of a nursing assistant. It wasn't until the end of my first semester, (the 5th month into our program) that they began to allow us to give injections and pass meds.

MARG1922 · Jul 24, 2004

This is news to me. In my RN program (in MD) we are taught how to draw blood, insert IVs and do IV pushes in our Senior yr. And I had plenty of practice during clinicals to do IVs. Also, at the hospital where I (in MD) the Pt. Care Techs are required to do blood draws for labs and type/X. I think it is a skill that should be taught to nursing students. When I was in orientation for my job as a Pt. Care Tech it was amazing the number of other nursing students who were clueless on how to draw blood and other skills (ie. foleys).

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Jul 24, 2004

We do in NC! Starting 2nd semester in our ADN program, students are given the opportunity (as they arise during clinical) to give IM injections, draw labs, put in IV's, and give IV medications (including IV pushes). In the 4th semester, the student can hang blood. The aggressive clinical instructor (and student !) scout for these opportunities on the clinical floor.

PennyLane, RN · Jul 24, 2004

This is news to me. In my RN program (in MD) we are taught how to draw blood, insert IVs and do IV pushes in our Senior yr. And I had plenty of practice during clinicals to do IVs. Also, at the hospital where I (in MD) the Pt. Care Techs are required to do blood draws for labs and type/X. I think it is a skill that should be taught to nursing students. When I was in orientation for my job as a Pt. Care Tech it was amazing the number of other nursing students who were clueless on how to draw blood and other skills (ie. foleys).

Yes, techs are taught how to do these skills, depending on where they work, esp. in the ED. However, I have been told by both university professors and clinical instructors that it's not legal for them to allow us to practice starting IVs under their licenses. My current instructor has worked for CCs and Universities and she's not allowed to let us practice these skills under her license in either educational setting. They do teach us 'how' to do it, but we can't actually do it on a patient.

MARG1922 · Jul 26, 2004

In the hospital where I work all techs not just ED Techs draw blood for labs. It was my impression from lectures from my instructors that one cannot practice under any other person's license, although students always state that they are "working" under their instructors license.

It is news to me that students in MD can not start IVs. I think that there is more to this issue than students not being allowed to put in IVs. Could it be per facility policy that your instructors are referring to? In the hospital where I work nursing students are very restricted in what they can and cannot do (ie. IV pushes), but the hospitals (ie. Childrens in DC) that I have had clinicals in allow more freedom for learning. I think that it would be a shame to prevent this type of learning practice. During my clinicals, if ever the situation presents itself for a student to put in a IV the clinical instructor is present and monitors the procedure.

If possible could someone tell me where to look in the Maryland Nurse Practice Act where this is stated? I would like some clarification on this, I wouldn't want to be doing something I'm not legally able to do.:uhoh21:

Yes, techs are taught how to do these skills, depending on where they work, esp. in the ED. However, I have been told by both university professors and clinical instructors that it's not legal for them to allow us to practice starting IVs under their licenses. My current instructor has worked for CCs and Universities and she's not allowed to let us practice these skills under her license in either educational setting. They do teach us 'how' to do it, but we can't actually do it on a patient.

Altra, BSN, RN · Jul 26, 2004

In my program we do injections beginning in the 2nd semester,and IV meds, including pushes, beginning in the 3rd semester. We don't learn venipuncture until the critical care rotation. I sincerely wish we could do it sooner, but I expressed this to my clinical instructor the other day, and she made a good point - they're much more concerned that you learn the "why" behind IV therapy while in school - the manual skill will come with time.

Like I said, I'm chomping at the bit to learn all the clinical skills that I can as soon as possible, but I can appreciate that the liability issues are enormous.

PennyLane, RN · Jul 26, 2004

I went to the MD board of nursing website, and you have to be a licensed nurse to get a copy of the nurse practice act. I can ask my prof this week for clarification. But again, I have heard from multiple professors and instructors that this is the case. And I've done clinicals in many different hospitals. Now, I have heard that some of my classmates have been allowed to do IV pushes at their clinicals, but I have been told we can't at each of my clinical sites.

It does seem silly, considering I can do things at work as a tech that I can't do at clinical. But then again, at clinical, my instructor is responsible for the care I give, and I am working under her license (Since I obviously don't have one of my own yet!!!)

Cherish · Mar 15, 2005

2 years ago when I was in Venipuncture class. Our instructor told us Nurses were they worst blood drawers and IV starts, because they don't practice this in school. I thought it was weird till I became an IV Tech on the floors in the hospitals while in Nursing school. Saw MANY nurses with faulty precedures for starting IV's and blood drawing (which to me is the easiest thing in the world). If you have a free period in school, you may want to take a venipuncture/specimen collection course. Its only a couple of weeks then you can take a 2 week IV course, that way you can learn the PROPER ways and not become a nurse who doesn't learn the proper techniques. Worse thing for the patient and you time wise is having to RESTART an IV because you learned inproperly, plus thats painful for the patient and nerve racking too.

Fraggle · Mar 15, 2005

I'm a student in MD too. You learn that at your first job. You can also learn it at a Student Nurse program at a hospital. I'm doing a summer PCT student nurse program and they train you there for those skills.