Where can I learn to start an IV?

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School didn't teach it and my job now is not directly clinical. I want to pick up some per diem days here and there just to keep my skills but also know that people want a per diem who can, you know, DO something.

Thanks.

Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

Sue,

I don't have any tips, but your post is making me feel really grateful for my nursing program. I should count my blessings. I started three IVs in one day alone in my second semester of nursing school.

While I don't have any advice, I'm sure you'll get this figured out. Wait - could you spend a day in your hospital's GI lab, pre-op area or ED to get opportunities?

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Specializes in Peds Hem, Onc, Med/Surg.

I wonder if there is anyway you could shadow an ED nurse, they do tons of IVs there. That one week I had clinical there I did 10 in one day. Sure I missed 8 of them but that is not the point. :w00t:

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Sue,

While I don't have any advice, I'm sure you'll get this figured out. Wait - could you spend a day in your hospital's GI lab, pre-op area or ED to get opportunities?

Only an amb-surg open a couple days a week, no GI, beds for up to 15 with CHF, COPD, pneumonia or waiting for a nursing home placement, the ED functions more as an urgent care unless there's a huge accident, then we stabilize and ship.

See, I'm really torn between wanting to keep my stable, office, Mon-Fri 8-4 no shifts job where my boss loves me and is such a control freak that I am going to be overpaid and bored for a long time to come or commuting quite a distance and working in an ED, which is what I'd really like to do. But the commuting would be huge and I'd be back to shifts and the crap of the floor.

So I thought the best thing would be to learn IV's, maybe take per diem spots floating here and then on weekends, and seeing if I can stand being back on the floor.

Thanks for your input, everyone.

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Wait, they don't teach you how to start IVs in nursing school? Maybe I'm just misunderstanding the question lol

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Wait, they don't teach you how to start IVs in nursing school? Maybe I'm just misunderstanding the question lol

They didn't teach me. And we were forbidden to do this skill in our final, preceptor style clinical rotation prior to graduation.

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
They didn't teach me. And we were forbidden to do this skill in our final, preceptor style clinical rotation prior to graduation.

This stuns me. Why would a nursing program do this? Did your program give a reason?

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We were given a list of eight procedures we were not allowed to do in our final clinical and we had to sign a statement acknowledging that we were aware of this or we could not do clinical. As I recall, the instructor said that the school refused to take legal responsibility for the results; something to do with the instructor not being available each and every time one of the students might undertake such a "risky" procedure. You can imagine what I was told when I was on the job and told about this. I definitely felt cheated.

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

If your hospital has an IV team see if you can spend a couple of days with them. It is very helpful and you will learn about lines other than standard IV's.

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This stuns me. Why would a nursing program do this? Did your program give a reason?

This stuns me, too. One of the things I've always associated with nurses is starting IVs. Is there some kind of "probationary" time that new nurses are on before they are able to begin an IV? Does this depend on the school, or on the program? (Like ADN vs. BSN, etc.) Does this depend on LVN vs. RN?

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If your hospital has an IV team see if you can spend a couple of days with them. It is very helpful and you will learn about lines other than standard IV's.

No teams, no nothing. Rural CAH.

:)

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

CAH? Community something hospital?

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PACU.

Sues,

I agree with the poster that said to go to the ER. Bear gifts (chocolate, cookies, pens...) and you will be welcomed. Watch a couple of times and then start sticking away.

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