Earlier this week, my classmates and I got the opportunity to practice blood draws and IVs not on mannequins, but each other. I was honestly a little scared because even though we'd had workshops where we practiced on mannequin arms before, real, live tissue is a whole different situation altogether - especially since that tissue is connected to a human being who experiences pain.
The professor who ran the lab workshop told us before we started that administration was very much against letting students practice on each other, especially amidst the COVID pandemic. He however, fought administration because he believes that only when you yourself have to endure another student physician piercing your skin with a needle, do you truly understand what this experience is like for a patient, and through practicing on each other, we would gain empathy as physicians.
My friend's perfectly placed IV on me... he's incredible.
I have to say he was right. After being stuck repetitively for a blood draw where my partner could not get a "flush" or a rush of blood into the wire, and his need to prod and realign the needle over and over, I could understand why patients may have adverse reactions to being stuck with anything.
When we practiced IVs, another partner managed to get the needle in, but when it came to securing the IV, my arm ended up in a puddle of my own blood and I still have a little discoloration in the area where he failed to get the IV in.
When it came time for me to practice, I found blood draws much simpler. The needle is smaller compared to the ones we used for IVs and the steps require less hand deftness.
After the area is cleaned, one simple insert the needle and push the test tube into the vacutainer. The negative pressure in the tube does all the work and clean up is simple!
IVs on the other hand.... not even close to as simple. The easiest part was the needle insertion. Afterwards there are so many little tricks you have to practice to get good at because it is NOT easy.
I "successfully" placed two IVs on two different guys, but my patient lost more than normal amounts of blood each time because I wasn't quick enough to occlude the catheter to prevent further blood loss.
LONG STORY SHORT - I still need a lot of practice to get efficient and good at placing IVs but it was great to get exposure early. I am grateful for the people who allowed me to practice on them, and even moreso those who struggled to get blood draws or IVs on me because in their struggle I could see how sorry they felt to be hurting me. I can only hope our future patients who are unlucky enough to have amateurs like us drawing their blood or placing their IVs will realize that we are doing our best and we do understand what it's like to be stuck multiple times.
IV I placed on a friend - note the red everywhere because I'm unskilled and had to do some janitor blood clean up before I finished placing the IV. Doctor IN TRAINING... clearly.
Thanks for reading!!
dee ღ
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