Never placed an IV!!!!!

1 I'm not sure what to do and this sounds ridiculous! I just started a new position and realized I have never placed an IV and I have never stuck anyone for blood - my last job had IV team and phlebotomy. Does anyone have any advice how to learn very quickly!! I looked at community colleges but they only offer courses that last weeks...I need to learn asap! Thanks for any advice you have to offer.
wow....totally not your fault, but....what school did you go to?i would encourage nobody else to go there, ever.

If it were me and I just started a new position I would take this opportunity to tell whoever is orienting/precepting me that I've never placed an IV. Not your fault I suppose (did they not even teach you in your lab at school?) but I can't imagine going through all those clinicals and intern/capstone/preceptorship for school and not having done this. It's a moot point now though. My advice is to just be honest and ask someone to help you learn the skill. Depending on your unit there may be ample opportunities to learn or they can send you to another unit like the ER to learn.

We didn't do ANY IV's in my school...and I went to a very good school. When I started in the NICU we just jumped in and learned, it was required to get off orientation. Now I work in the peds cardiac ICU and most of those nurses have no idea how to place IV's because they use primarily IV team but I will always look and if I see something go for it. It's a skill I don't want to loose and one that many of my colleagues are jealous that I know how to do. But honestly I was never really taught, watched a few then just started trying

My school didn't teach IV placement or blood draws either. This is common.

I didn't so much as draw blood in school, then entered a position where all patients have central lines. I practiced on fake arms, then a coworker's arm, then just started doing IVs whenever the opportunity arose. And darnit, I got decent. I'm not great, but I can get them more often than not now.

Don't worry! My school didn't teach that either, it's one of those things that you just learn through experience. You will get it down soon! Try researching it online or looking up videos that show you how to do it. You are going to be fine I know you will!

It's not ridiculous. Get your unit's CNE to spend some time with you and start evryone you can find.We used to have an IV team and it's sorely missed.

Quote from minnymiwow....totally not your fault, but....what school did you go to?i would encourage nobody else to go there, ever.

I went to an excellent school that did not teach us how to start IVs. I've never done it in my 2 years as a nurse. I'm not a CVICU nurse in an internship program, I'm required to gain competency of IV starting. Tomorrow I'll be in the ED doing nothing but IVs. Please pray for me and my patients.

I did not learn these skills in school and the teaching hospital I work at now has phlebotomy and an IV team. I couldn't draw blood or start an IV at work if I wanted to.

you only get better at ivs with experience. for my first year as an rn, i worked somewhere where we didn't need iv access. a year ago i took a job on med-surg and everyone here needs an iv unless ordered by the doctor. needless to say, i was horrible to begin with but i am getting better. the hospital also provided a little course that allowed us to practice on a large arm with obvious veins and a million holes so you know exactly where to stick the catheter. good luck!just remember everyone was once a beginner! (:

Many nurses don't have phlebotomy/IV skills for the reasons you mentioned. You won't learn quickly. It really just takes practice since it's a skill. Sure....can anyone pretty much get the pipes for veins? Yes, but people that have fragile veins/dehydrated, etc, are much more difficult to get IV's into, and it just takes practice working with the IV caths and floating them in, etc. Offer to draw other nurse's blood when you have the time or start an IV with an experienced nurse so she can tell you where you went wrong. Nobody's going to expect you to be perfect at first.