Blood Everywhere!
Happy holiday weekend, everyone! PACU/Pre-op nurse at a large hospital in Austin. I’m excellent at starting IV’s and do it all day, every day. I’ve googled the question I’m about to ask and haven’t really gotten great info, so I appreciate any advice you’d be willing to share.
Every time I start an IV, just blood, everywhere. Fabulous access, but a big mess. I do the thing where I apply pressure to the hub site, and it just never seems to work well. My colleagues are magically able to compress the vein well enough to prevent bleeding while they attach the line. Infuriating.
I also have the habit of raising the bed, asking the patient to hang their arm off of the side, and kneeling down to start lines. Is that part of the problem—too much gravity?
Thank you so much!! You all are the heart and soul of surgery, and I so admire how anesthesia tends to attract such calm, kind, and helpful people.