One of the most important skills a nurse can master, is the starting of infusions, administering of IV medications and managing IV therapy. These skills are used daily by nurses all over the world, in all kinds of healthcare settings. These infusions can restore the patient's health and save lives.
The most fear evoking experience of a young nurse is the starting of peripheral IV's. Start by assessing the hand, wrist, forearm, and the anti-cubital area. Apply a tourniquet and palpate the vein with your finger. The best way to become more efficient in locating veins for IV's, is to close your eyes and feel for the veins. There are often veins present that you cannot see, but you can feel them.
Apply an anesthetic cream over the injection site. This will help to numb the area and the patient will feel less pain when the IV cannula is inserted into the skin. Attempt to penetrate the layers of the vein in one motion. The more IV's you start, the better you will become in starting them. If time permits, offer to start IV's for other nurses. This will do two things, improve your skills and earn brownie points with your peers.
When starting the IV, use your thumb and gently tighten the skin distal to the site. This helps to anchor the vein and it doesn't tend to roll as much. Placing the needle directly above the vein, with the bevel up helps with the insertion into the vein.
If you have checked the patient and have been unable to see a vein that you feel you can start the IV in, then apply warm packs for the patient's arm for at least 10 minutes and then take another look. You will be surprised at the difference with some people. Some hospitals now have the support of a visualization device to help locate veins in the patients. These are actually becoming more popular. If one of these devices are not available, then use a blood pressure cuff on a low setting.
Don't be too rough on yourself, there is not a nurse alive that starts every IV every time. The best thing for you to do is to start IV's. The more you start the better you will become. Don't shy away from starting them on any patient. The old saying, "Practice make perfect", is true in this circumstance.
The most fear evoking experience of a young nurse is the starting of peripheral IV's. Start by assessing the hand, wrist, forearm, and the anti-cubital area. Apply a tourniquet and palpate the vein with your finger. The best way to become more efficient in locating veins for IV's, is to close your eyes and feel for the veins. There are often veins present that you cannot see, but you can feel them.
Apply an anesthetic cream over the injection site. This will help to numb the area and the patient will feel less pain when the IV cannula is inserted into the skin. Attempt to penetrate the layers of the vein in one motion. The more IV's you start, the better you will become in starting them. If time permits, offer to start IV's for other nurses. This will do two things, improve your skills and earn brownie points with your peers.
When starting the IV, use your thumb and gently tighten the skin distal to the site. This helps to anchor the vein and it doesn't tend to roll as much. Placing the needle directly above the vein, with the bevel up helps with the insertion into the vein.
If you have checked the patient and have been unable to see a vein that you feel you can start the IV in, then apply warm packs for the patient's arm for at least 10 minutes and then take another look. You will be surprised at the difference with some people. Some hospitals now have the support of a visualization device to help locate veins in the patients. These are actually becoming more popular. If one of these devices are not available, then use a blood pressure cuff on a low setting.
Don't be too rough on yourself, there is not a nurse alive that starts every IV every time. The best thing for you to do is to start IV's. The more you start the better you will become. Don't shy away from starting them on any patient. The old saying, "Practice make perfect", is true in this circumstance.
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