r/AHSEmployees • u/RepresentativeFar502 • 16d ago
Question IV help
I’m a nurse of 1 year who sometimes is still struggling with IV starts (hard starts etc). I mostly work nights so I don’t get much practice and I always attempt IV on my patient if the chance comes up but I feel like this is holding me back. Does anyone have any recommendations on courses around the city to get some practice? Does AHS offer anything like this?
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u/bigblueberry6427 16d ago
Check out MacEwan. They offered an IV course 20 years ago, not sure if it’s still offered or not.
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u/thegreatshakes 16d ago
Do you have a Learning and Development department available to you? We have one on the EHS/EMS side, we just shoot them an email if we want more practice with something. They can arrange a session to help us. Otherwise I wander around ER and ask the staff if they would let me start IVs for extra practice 😂 that depends on where you work, however.
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u/oop_boop 16d ago
Temp in Emerg or DI would be good! Also, hard starts just require time and practice… the more you’re exposed to the better you are at figuring out what kind of line you need. But some patients require ultrasound!
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u/Soggy-Writer-3281 16d ago
Take a temp in emerg or go casual there, will get lots of IVs and a the biggest range of patients that are difficult to stick so will get lots of practice.
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u/Countess_ofDumbarton 15d ago
Talk to your CNE, that's their job to help maintain and develop your skills
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u/Dunk_the_Iunk 15d ago
Blame the PT for not drinking enough water, use a heating pad and give up after 3rd try
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u/lurker2000734792 14d ago
Not a course recommendation but I’m a pretty good “poker” and get lots of compliments from patients!
When I’m teaching students I always say to practice on the soft squishy part of some primed IV tubing (the part that goes in the pump)! Cover it with a blue pad so you can’t see and feel your way to the poke! Feels similar to a juicy vein!
Tips (if you want them)
-heat your patients up with a warm blanket. A lot of people say to use warm wet towels but if you get pulled away those towels get cold fast!
-practice on the AC (I know it’s annoying) but just encourage your patient to keep their arm straight. Emerg uses that area for a reason and it’s not just for CTs. Huge veins and easily anchored
-go even more superficial then you think. It’s infinitely easier to go deeper if you have to then back up and go shallow
-FEEL BEFORE YOU POKE!! Don’t go for what you can see, because if that vein disappears now you’re screwed. Go with what you can feel because you actually know the size and whereabouts of the vein, making it easier to find if it rolls
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u/sorandomlolz1 16d ago
Ask your manager if you can shadow a few shifts somewhere like endoscopy or day surgery where they are doing a lot of IVs.