February 11--The Hello Kitty IV Start Kit

[zyzyly]

We didn't have clinical this morning, so I didn't have to wake up at 5 am. Instead, we had an afternoon IV skills lab, so I got to wake up at 8:00 and leave for work at 9:30. I spent my additional sleep time dreaming about some sort of drama in a world that is mostly water. Lots of little boats. I like interesting dreams.

The lab is the last step before the students get to go start IVs on real people. We use fake arms with fake veins. It's really nothing like the real thing, but it does get them used to manipulating the catheter and learning all the steps.



I have them practice putting tourniquets on each other and searching for veins. They used to be able to start IVs on each other, but someone decided that wasn't a good idea, so we had to stop. I used to let students start them on me until someone got anxious and inserted the needle all the way to the hub in my arm. That was the end of that.

We used to fill the arms with fake blood where I used to teach. I would take them home after and spend hours draining and flushing them with sterile water. It was a big hassle. The only upside was that I had all these fake arms for the weekend.





About today's music--I have a friend named Aoife, and after I first met her I looked the name up online to see how to pronounce it. I came across this artist--Aoife O'Donovan--and bought a few of her songs. I love her voice, and now have most of her albums. This is from a new one called In The Magic Hour.

Comments

[wantedonvoyage.livejournal.com]

Oi those creep me out! I'm so squeamish about all things medical.

I read recently that cats are terrified of cucumbers. Or, more precisely, if you surreptitiously place a cucumber (or possibly any similarly-sized object) in a cat's blind spot while its back is turned, it will react amusingly upon noticing it.

[anita-margarita.livejournal.com]

That is one thing that stopped me from pursuing anything remotely medical: I am not squeamish about many things, but needles going under the skin absolutely makes me clutch the floor and clench every muscle.

[gracegiver]

LOL! Love it.

[annie-r.livejournal.com]

Your cat is very brave!

[thoughtsbykat.livejournal.com]

LOL, what fun you had with all those arms.

[manintheboat.livejournal.com]

Love the arms!

We just had to practice on each other.
As a patient I often feel like I am still being practiced on.

[topum.livejournal.com]

Haha, the arms look scary.

[randomdreams.livejournal.com]

zomg I love all the arms. I would have illegal quantities of fun with those.

[3-black-cats.livejournal.com]

I love what you've done with the arms. And, I learned phlebotomy on dogs... and then got to practice on a doctor I worked for. His motto was "See one, do one, teach one." He did let me practice on him before he turned me loose on patients. That was back before you had to have some kind of official certification or training to do that kind of thing. I have to say, the dogs were easier patients. They were more cuddly or snarly, but at least you knew where to hold your arm...

[pasticcio.livejournal.com]

You're soooo weird! :p

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

haha yes!