Confidence in Nursing School

My biggest fear while I have been in nursing school has been starting my first IV on a real live patient. I have had plenty of time and practice on mannequins with plastic arms and red water, but even I knew that a plastic vein was a lot different than a human one.

While I have been doing my externship in the labor/delivery department of my local hospital I have had numerous opportunities to start IVs on admitting women. My first several attempts were complete disasters and I was absolutely horrified and embarrassed. One attempt was on a woman who had a gigantic pulsating vein on her hand that would seem to be impossible to miss - hit a valve. My second attempt on a patient I must have completely blown through the vein because her hand swelled up to the size of a softball. I felt sick. After many uncomfortable and embarrassing moments following these events, I think that I have finally gotten the hang of starting an IV. What a confidence boost!

I never thought that being only one month into my externship that I would have learned so much and gained so many basic nursing skills. I now think that I could insert a foley catheter into a women while blindfolded, prime and hang IV tubing and program a pump in complete darkness (and have had to on several occasions) and even gain a fairly good handle on doing a cervical check. I am so much farther than I would have expected at this time.

I guess this means that the goals that I had for this externship have been met. I wanted to do it this summer because I didn't want to spend my entire orientation as a new nurse trying to learn basic nursing skills while I should be focusing more on overall patient care and policies/procedures, etc. If anyone is having doubts or questions over whether they want to do an internship/externship—I would highly encourage you to do it. It is never a waste of time to have more practice! The confidence alone is invaluable.