..ready...stEAdy..

Our IV in-service, a class some have been dreading since the fall, was yesterday afternoon. We had a week to complete the assignment, and learn what to do (and what NOt to do) when inserting an intravenous line into somebody's vein.




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Yesterday was the practical exam - and we got as many tries as your partner could stand to successfully insert the cannula. oH my. I have a big bruise on my hand as I type this, thankfully my partner, Jenny, only needed one poke! [hey Laura, can you feel the pressure with all of us staring down your needle there?!]














Yeahh, they say i have "great veins" (some were eyeing them up before the class..). i actually WATChed jenny put this needle into my hand. I let Tiff practice on me a while ago also. I truly do have an appreciation for our women who don't even flinch as we stick'em with these needles. The whole contraction bit might be somewhat of a distraction, but i do believe the filipinas have a super high pain tolerance.

I was one of the last to go, because I was on shift at the time and busy down in the birthroom but I was sUPerr nervous. Even though I've successfully inserted a handful of IVs prior to this class, THIS time was on my dear friend, Jenny (the nerves also could have been from tiff's comment "jenna, you better get this in on the first try because i've heard you're a pro..)(hmm. i don't think "pros" shake as much as i was poking jenny) But I got it in, first try, thank the Lord.



Group shot. My class, with our fearless teachers (they'd probably be able to insert IVs in their OWN hands)