Things I can do

Sometimes I feel like there are things people don't know about me that I think are cool....but I can't share due to time or situation. I'm not talking about private or personal things of course. I'm talking about things I do at work, things I learned about in a different time in my life. I'm good at things or are interested in a lot of different things, so I thought I'd share.

Here is one. I'm actually pretty good at this to:

Starting an IV

Tips if you ever have to get an IV placed in YOU:

1. Put your two (first and middle) fingers on the inside of your wrist just under your hand., covering the delicate blue veins you see there. NEVER let anyone try to start an IV there! If they are trying, they don't know what they're doing. JUST SAY NO! Ask for someone else. These little veins look tempting, but are too small and delicate, and they are too close to your tendons in that small area, all the movement from the tendons on the veins would cause irritations and possibly infiltration and infection. The only reason you would let someone stick you in that area is for a Radial Arterial Line, that is completely different than an IV.

2. Ask your nurse if he/she can use lidocaine to numb the area before starting the IV. I SWEAR by this technique. It allows me to be slow and careful, not worrying about hurting my patient, so I don't miss or blow veins. But, if the nurse has never done it before, you're better off just going with what they are good at...don't want to be their guinea pig ;)

3. I have a personal rule, only try 3 times. If I'm unsuccessful, I ask a collegue to come start the IV for me. After 3 attempts, I feel as if I just get worse because of frustration and the patient doesn't like it either. So, if a nurse is having a hard time starting an IV, after the 3rd try ask for someone else to try. It is your IV, your care....you are in charge! I'm pretty good at IV's (you don't have to actually see an vein to start an IV. Cool huh!?!), but sometimes timing or anatomy are just not with me.....just because someone can't start an IV on you doesn't mean they aren't good or at least competent....it just isn't in the cards sometimes. That's why you should be proactive in your IV placement.