Trouble using the BD Butterfly/cath - new nurse

[JoAnna McNurse]

Years ago as an angiography technologist I used to easily start IV's to give my contrast using the "old fashioned" straight angiocath. I'd puncture the vein, reach over and slide the cathater down further into the vein, remove the needle.....hook up and I was done!!

I'm now a new RN and the Unit I'm on uses this Bectin-Dickinson Butterfly system that I absolutely hate and am very poor at getting the darn thing in the vein.

The way this thing works is that a butterfly device w/ a needle incased in a cathater is inserted into the vein. It seems you have to push the entire needle with cathater deeply into the vein before you can pull this "long tail" out of the butterfly device which removes the needle and leaves the cathater in place. I have to be so careful to hold the butterfly so as to not pull the whole thing out of the vein. I HATE IT. I also can't seem to thread the entire needle in the vein very accurately.

I'm just wondering if anyone -- expecially you IV experts --- have had similar problems and hate this system as much as I do.

This is the only hospital I've ever worked in. Do other hospitals have different types of angio sets that are different from this system.....or maybe just the old fashioned straight cath like I used to use ???

Thanks for letting me vent a little. Will look for guidance from you all.