When do we learn how to start an iv

We're learning how in MedSurg1. I think a lot of it depends on your program. You might ask your instructors if it's a concern.

oh wow! all i did in med surg 1 was give out meds, vs and am care.

thanks for your reply.:wink2:

It depends on your program. We did a little bit with IV's last semester (for seriously like...a day lol) but we don't get to start them or anything like that until next semester.

MAN! as students we don't get to start IV's on real people at all! They only show us in the lab on the "sim-man" mannequin.

There are a lot of things we "don't get to do as students" like IV's and even checking a blood sugar! Then, when we graduate it's gonna be like "go do this" and we are all gonna be like "how...........?"

Duh.

I just started my second semester (med surg 2) last Tuesday and we did IVs on Wednesday.

I wonder why our program doesn't let us do these things?

I hear ya... truly, what are the programs waiting for? It makes no sense to me how unfair it is for a new grad to sit for the NCLEX and not have started an IV (or pushed IV meds)

I feel the same as all of you ..we cant start IVs on patients till we graduate

In the defense of the program, 2 people in my class stuck themselves giving a simulated IM/SQ shot to a rubber bag

With that said, its no wonder why they wont let us practice on humans

want to know the kicker? one of the students that stuck themselves is a phlebotomist

I think the reason behind not really teaching us is that most hospitals have their own system and training for it anyway - they're going to train us out of whatever we learn here, and into whatever they want done - so our programs aren't really going to be able to do anything but give us a glossed over basic idea of it anyway.

That's the impression my instructors have given me, anyhow.

In my school we don't learn how to start IV's but we learn how to hang bags and prime the line.

They say that when you start working, during orientation the hospital may teach you to start the IV

I'm in second semester(med-surg, ob and peds) but towards the end of my first semester we studied everything about IVs; this semester we will be practicing in lab and actually starting an IV during clinical.

We learned all Iv insertions, meds, piggybacks and everything our first semester. We can do IVs in clinicals, but our instructor has to be there. Pretty much the only thing we don't do are blood transfusions and chemo drugs. The also didn't let us start IVs in our peds clinicals (because its hard enough trying to do that on adults when you are first starting out!)