P
ractically every patient who arrives for surgery at your
facility gets fluids and drugs intravenously, so you'd think
that starting an IV line would be a simple and speedy
undertaking every time. Your experience in pre-op, how-
ever, tells you differently. In my experience as an infu-
sion nurse who teaches the practice, I've found that many difficult IV
starts and placements stem from these 4 common missteps and com-
plications.
8 8
O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | J U N E 2 0 1 5
4 Secrets of Smooth IV Starts
An infusion nurse's practical advice for
sidestepping common obstacles to first-stick success.
Alice Cennamo, RN, CRNI, CPI, VA-BC | Shelton, Conn.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
z ONE AND DONE Starting an
IV on the first stick is more effi-
cient for your workflow, and less
unpleasant for your patients.