The Art of the IV Start
Common Techniques and Tricks of the Trade for Establishing Successful Peripheral Intravenous Lines
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Currently in nursing school you spend a couple of hours, at most, reviewing the basics and then may practice starting an IV on an anatomical arm with bulging veins. That is usually the extent of today’s training. Some new nurses have even told me that their IV training was “minimal” at best or “we just didn’t talk about it a lot.” Also, the arm does not talk back or express all of the emotions a true patient can and quite often does.
The question that begs to be asked then is, how can someone who is endowed with such an important responsibility to care for the sick and injured become proficient at initiating a patient’s lifeline except for on the job training? The assumption is always that experienced nurses will properly train new nurses the needed techniques for optimum success. My experience tells me differently as I have witnessed a gradual decline, over the years, in the IV skill level of most nurses and other clinicians.
There are many very good medical surgical, emergency, and critical care nurses currently working who are lacking at starting IVs. This in no way implies that they are bad nurses. It only means that they need to refine their technique and not shy away from the difficult “sticks” (IVs). I am a firm believer that everyone can become proficient at starting IVs to the point where you become comfortable with whom you are and with what you can do. All you need is confidence in yourself, the determination to want to do it right the first time….and to know the fine details of initiating a peripheral IV. There is more to this than meets the eye.
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About the Book
Nurses and paramedics pass down intravenous skills to new employees as best they can, but the fine details are often missed or forgotten. Bob Rynecki, a registered nurse and an award-winning paramedic, wrote this guide so you can establish peripheral intravenous lines easily and effectively. Taking a no-frills approach, he delivers the tricks and tips that will enable you to: • become the go-to person for starting difficult IVs; • boost your confidence no matter what your level of experience; • succeed on the first stick – almost every time. Many medical professionals desperately need to learn this basic skill because it’s so often overlooked in school. Many students practice starting an IV on an anatomical arm with bulging veins that doesn’t mesh with what they most often find at the bedside or in the field. Drawing upon his nineteen years of experience as a bedside critical care nurse and his fifteen years of experience as an EMT/Paramedic, Rynecki shares personal stories and examples that will help you succeed in even the most challenging circumstances. Whether you’re a novice or veteran clinician, you’ll improve your proficiency at initiating lifelines with The Art of the IV Start.
About the Author
Bob Rynecki, received the Pennsylvania State Paramedic of the Year Award in 1989 and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Circle of Excellence Award in 2010. He taught Microbiology at Penn State Mont Alto for fourteen years. He lives in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Terry. They have two sons, Paul and David.