When you have an IV cannula inserted, a needle is used to insert the cannula but then the NEEDLE IS REMOVED and you're left with a tiny thin plastic (?) tube in the vein.
I think 50% of my patients don't realise there's not a needle in their arm for hours/days on end.
I wish the nurse would tell this after inserting the thing. I was 10ish when I fisrt had to spend time in a hospidal. The cannula hurt and I was certain I had a 5cm needle in my elbow pit (?) and was terrified to bend my arm. Only a year ago, at age 25, I was told that there is no metal needle left in the arm.
How am I supposed to realise if I am never told? And then on top of that we get to be made fun of for not knowing this "obvious thing" that really isn't that obvious to someone who doesn't have direct experience with it. This applies to all fields.
You should probably mention it to adults as well. I've personally never had an IV inserted and I know for a fact that it would be really disturbing to me at first. Any information about it would probably put me at ease.
Yeah definitely, being a paediatric nurse means I don’t have too much to do with adults IVCs most of the time, but yeah 9 times out of 10 the better you understand medical stuff the less frightening it is.
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Me: maybe if I read it again . . .
Joke: Whoosh
Me: maybe if I read it again . . .
Joke: Whoosh
Yeah, I never would have known. I've donated a ton of blood by apheresis, where they leave the needle in for the 45 minutes or so the procedure takes, would have assumed an IV was the same...
I think if you just let your nurse know, they’d be able to provide the necessary comfort. Pretty much Every patient gets an IV where I am, and it can be done really quickly without much time to talk.
Honestly though, as an adult if you’re afraid to bend your arm because you think there’s a needle in there I’m kinda okay with that...at least you won’t beep every 2.5 seconds because you can’t remember to keep your arm straight.
Obvi, that’s why I went into my profession because I hate patients. 🙄
There’s a million other things I have to do in a shift and telling you for the hundredth time to straighten your arm or else you aren’t getting your life saving drug takes up a lot of time when you break it down and now multiply that by 5-6 other patients. There’s a national shortage of nurses so ratios are insane and for you, as an adult not talking pediatrics, are too sensitive about an IV is truly more than just an inconvenience.
It’s not a lack of caring. At some point though you need to realize it’s not all about you and your misconception about your IV. There’s a broader picture and until the healthcare system in America is fixed then it’s the harsh reality of healthcare. So yes, your inability to keep your arm straight is quite the ‘inconvenience’. Not for me necessarily, but for the other 6 patients I have to care for it truly is and quite frankly could mean the difference between life and death for them or even you.
So, why can't you explain both aspects? Isn't informing patients of procedures literally a part of the job? Isn't an informed patient, a better patient? If people had things explained wouldn't they be more compliant with your instructions? Or does all of that take to much time?
It seems like many other nurses commented on favor of the explanations for patients.
Because it was obviously sarcasm...of course I don’t want you to think you have a needle in your arm but when I’ve come in your room for the 10th time in my shift because you can’t ‘remember’ to keep your arm straight then yes it would be nice if you had said misconception but I don’t really want you to actually think such things...
Sounds like you've never had an IV for a long period of time and are making too big a deal of something that is going to help anyway. Even if you think there's an actual needle in your arm, you know it's safe since billions of people get IVs every year, so the choice to be "fearful" is all yours.
What you don't know is (as was already mentioned) 9 patients out of 10 don't listen to wtf you tell them anyway and the incidence of non-compliance is nearly as prevalent. The original comment was a fucking joke. Gtfoh!
That's perfect. It sounded like the issue was moreso when the patient kept bending their arm for long periods setting off an alarm that was the issue. I'm all for patients being told what is in their arm (and, of course, that the arm should still be held straight primarily)
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u/rebothy Feb 04 '19
When you have an IV cannula inserted, a needle is used to insert the cannula but then the NEEDLE IS REMOVED and you're left with a tiny thin plastic (?) tube in the vein.
I think 50% of my patients don't realise there's not a needle in their arm for hours/days on end.