Venipuncture

[melstei]

I started on a Med-Surg as a new grad about 6 weeks and cannot seem to grasp venipuncture or IV starts. I've had one successful IV start and one successful (although not a true success because the vein blew when I had just enough sample). I'm so nervous about the whole venipuncture process and feel I am never going to be able to do it. Any ideas on how to build confidence? Would taking a venipuncture class help? Any advice would be much much appreciated.

Thanks!!

[Do-over, ASN, RN]

Practice.

[opjewel]

Experience itself is a great teacher, nothing beats learning on the job.

I urge you to keep trying ,learn from the more experienced colleagues.

Never give up, its still too early in the day, practice makes perfect

[MikeRNWI]

http://www.icufaqs.org/

Check out the section for Peripheral IV's for beginners.

And yes, its practice practice practice.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

Ditto to what the others say. Practice, practice, practice.

Can you talk to your NM and ask if you can spend a few hours or a day in OPS?

We send our new grads down to start IV's for an 8 hr shift. They get lots of experience.

[Staragate, ADN, ASN, RN]

http://www.enw.org/IVStarts.htm I thought this guide was extremely helpful.

I also bought a few extra cannulas from my friend who works at a vet so I can get some extra practices in lab.

[bsnanat2]

You MUST be confident!! A great nurse finally helped me realize that I was psyching myself out. Your attitude should be that "I WILL get this IV." The second key is to take your time. Do not allow the pressure to cause you to panic or rush. Make them dangle their arm once the tourniquet is on so the veins will pop. Thirdly, realize that even the best don't get them all, but you will be able to get most of them. Take every opportunity to start an IV and when watching someone else, have them verbalize each step as they go through it. Finally, walk through it, step by step, in your mind, moving your hands through the motions as you visualize. I did these things and spent a day in Outpatient Surgery (as someone here suggested) and I got every one of them that day.

You WILL get it!

[ktwlpn, LPN]

Gather your supplies,sit down and take a deep breath and relax.Visualize getting it-and you will.A little prayer doesn't hurt either.I think St Genarro (Janarius) is the patron saint of all things blood....

[jojonavy]

yeah I feel you. IV starts was my weakness to, but after 3 months on the floor I'm much more confident. Again as everyone said practice practice practice. And being confident. What helped me also was that we had a skills validation to practice on each other. It really helped.

My issues that I worked through. Don't go into sharp of an angle. I go about 20 degrees in. When you get blood return, remember to advance the need a little before advancing the cannula. I don't like advancing the needle more because I always seem to blow through the vein if I go to much.

[esrun00]

First off relax, you have only been doing this for 3 weeks.

The two most important things with venipuncture is vein selection and anchoring the vein. Take your time looking for the best vein. As someone else suggested have them dangle their arm, use a blood pressure cuff and my favorite, apply a warm blanket for about 10minutes. Then when you find a vein, you must anchor it, how many times have you heard "my veins roll". And last but not least have confidence in your self, so you miss a few, you will eventually get most of them.

[VICEDRN, BSN, RN]

Yeah. i agree. you are freaking and its throwing the chi off in the room. Just relax, feel the stick and go with it. Don't think about it too hard. Picture the blood flowing into the tube.

It takes time. Good luck.

PS Avoid IV starts until you are the queen of venipuncture!

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

And in that vein... become the needle. You're no bigger than the needle, and the vein is positively huge, so "see" yourself going right into the lumen of the vein with room to spare...

Some veins will be more mobile than others so anchor them so they can only roll one way: into the needle. When you're introducing the needle, angle it so that if the vein rolls into the needle, you won't go through the other side.

Venipuncture and IV starts are kind of a zen thing... Just empty the mind, become the needle and do it!