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V A S C U L A R
A C C E S S
One and done
It's estimated that every failed attempt to start an IV costs your facility
about $32 in direct costs and loss of efficiency. It also increases the risk
of a catheter-borne infection. "In the past, nurses relied on the 'blind
stick' in patients with veins that were difficult to palpate or to visualize,"
says Ms. Sena. "Now, technique and technology have advanced in the
area of venipuncture and IV insertion."
"The best way to reduce the pain of an IV start is to be assertive when
inserting the needle through the skin," says Shanon Malone, RN, CNOR,
director of surgical services at St. John's Hospital in Lebanon, Mo. "One
smooth, quick motion will take the needle through the skin and into the
vein, reducing the pain associated with the needlestick.
A slow, unsure stick will
cause pain every time." And
the more confident your
nurses are, the less anxious
your patients will be when
they see that needle heading
toward their arm. OSM
E-mail doconnor@outpatientsurgery.net.
J A N U A R Y 2013 | O U T PAT 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
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