#tips for nurses

11 Tips for How Not to Blow a Vein

Chances are really strong that you might end up going flush with the skin during IV line insertion. However, a 'venous blow' should be the last thing on your mind. More importantly, it causes discomfort to the patient. So that the IV needle doesn’t enter too deeply that it punctures the vein on both sides, you must follow certain tips to prevent blowing out veins and to guarantee IV line insertion success. This article is to help you remember what you studied while pursuing nursing study programs.

It's time to stop worrying about vein infiltration or extra vasation. Read through these 11 easy tips for how not to blow a vein -

1. Choose the Largest Vein First The largest vein won’t blow easily, so feel the veins and choose the largest vein first. You can feel the veins by palpating the area.

2. Choose the Right Size Catheter In most cases, the size of the catheter is contraindicated. In the remaining cases, just choose a small one. For adults, it is recommended that the gauge should be 22, and for pediatric patients, the gauge should be 22-26.

3. Control the Angle of Insertion You can prevent the vein from blowing if you control the angle of insertion. This can be done by making the bevel face upwards.

4. Choose the Deeper Vein for Geriatric Patients The upper veins of geriatric patients are fragile. They can easily be seen in the ventral part of the hands because they are thick. Therefore, just choose a deeper vein in the case of elderly patients. The deeper the vein, the more stable and less movable it will be.

5. Dilate the Blood Vessels if the Arms are Cold You can dilate the blood vessels by warming up cold arms. This way, the veins quickly pop out. Just use hot packs, or warm washcloths or even a blanket to warm up the arms.

6. Keep the Unstable Vein from Moving Sideways As you puncture the vein, just make sure you anchor it. Hold the skin and veins tight with your non-dominant hand.

7. Avoid Double Penetration Double penetration can be avoided by eliminating jerky movements. Just take your time while estimating the angle of insertion. Go slowly and carefully with the catheter insertion.

8. Avoid Using a Tourniquet in Elderly Patients A tourniquet can put pressure on the thick yet very fragile veins of geriatric patients. Anchor the vein instead (look at #6 in the procedure) and avoid using a tourniquet. If you’re not successful in palpating the vein, you can use a tourniquet a little away from the vein.

9. Use Gravity to Improve the Vein's Fullness Gravity helps in palpating the vein. Make the patient dangle his/her arms to the side of the bed. This way the fullness of the vein is improved and the venipuncture is easier.

10. Avoid 'Fishing' Are you getting a flashback? Just pull the needle out and start again. If you go around fishing, the patient will feel uncomfortable. Plus, the chances of blowing the vein increase.

11. Ask for Assistance from a Colleague If it's one of those days when you are experiencing a 'dry spell,' just let it go. Ask for help from a colleague. You can also watch the IV insertion techniques of a senior nurse while she/he is doing a venipuncture.

Also, visualization devices like transilluminator lights or pocket ultrasound machines help  a great deal. They illuminate the vein pathways so you can track the direction for the catheter insertion. Don't worry; every nurse who is a pro in IV line insertion now, was once just a beginner. Practice is the only thing that will improve your technique.

How Do Nurses Deal With Death?

Dealing with death is a major aspect of any job in the medical field. It is exhausting for nurses to cope with loss, especially when patients get close to their heart. Dealing with death is painful, and if not dealt with properly, can lead to chronic burnout. 

Here are some valuable tips on how to deal with death, straight from veteran nurses–

Understand death is inevitable - Nurses need to recognize and accept the fact that nothing is immortal and all lives end in death. Nurses care for many patients and often get attached. As a nurse, if you find your patient’s condition is deteriorating, it is better to prepare yourself by acknowledging death as a possible outcome. By preparing yourself in advance mentally, it will be easier to cope with the death.

Let yourself mourn & grieve - Feeling sad for the loss of your patient’s life is a common emotion. In such a scenario, don’t hold back your sadness, be open about your feelings. Avoid keeping emotions inside. Instead, let yourself go through the grieving process. If you feel like crying, then it is better to let yourself cry. Let your feelings come out and you will end up feeling much better.

Interacting with the patient’s family - Nurses work hard to save their patients’ lives. When it ends on a death note, it is heart-breaking. If you are comfortable with it, give a warm hug to your patient’s family members. It will help you validate how much effort you put in to saving them. It will also give you much-needed closure.

Pray or meditate - Prayer or meditation is best for internal healing and gives you some peace of mind. Nurses see death more often than nearly anyone, and it can be daunting. Therefore, to clear emotional baggage, meditation is usually quite helpful. A good meditation session allows letting go of the sadness inside.

Give yourself a break-If recovering from the loss of a patient is proving difficult, then it’s better to take some time off from work. Give yourself a break and don’t take any extra shifts. This could lead to burnout or fatigue.

Do not dwell in grief- Facing death is part of the nursing profession. Initially,it might be overwhelming to deal with the death of your patients, but you need to keep going. You need to think positively by thinking about the patients that survived under your care and went home happy.

Nurse’s New Year Resolution: Making it Happen this 2016

It’s been few days pass 2015, and people definitely had their resolutions. But have you wondered what New Year resolutions would nurses have this year?

Here’s a combination of simple and complex resolutions that nurses often wish to attain every year.

Start the year right, so start on time!

            There are limitless reasons we can use to explain why we are late. However, its 2016, clichés…