Safety Concerns
The tourniquet should not be left on for longer than this amount of time to prevent affecting lab results.
What is 1 minute?
The nurse should explain that catheter sizes are color-coded, with this color representing the most commonly used size for blood transfusions.
What is pink (20-gauge)?
This action helps distend veins by increasing blood flow to the arm.
What is lowering the arm below the level of the heart?
The nurse should perform this action to stabilize the vein and prevent movement during needle insertion.
What is holding the skin taut against the vein?
Before performing a blood draw, the nurse must verify the patient’s identity using these two identifiers.
What are the patient’s name and date of birth?
Avoiding these veins can prevent the risk of nerve damage during IV insertion.
What are the cephalic vein at the radial wrist and the inner aspect of the wrist?
The nurse should explain that using the non-dominant arm for an IV site provides this benefit to the patient.
What is increased comfort and reduced restriction of movement?
The patient should be placed in this position before starting an IV.
What is a low-Fowler’s position?
After inserting the IV catheter, the nurse should assess for this to confirm proper placement in the vein.
What is blood flashback?
The smaller the gauge size (16g, 18g, 20g, 22g, 24g), the _____ the needle size.
What is larger? 18g has a larger diameter than 24g
These three actions should NOT be done to dry the skin after cleansing with antiseptic.
What are wipe, fan, or blow?
The nurse should tell the patient to notify staff immediately if they experience these symptoms at the IV site.
What are pain, swelling, tingling, redness, or warmth?
After inspecting the IV site and before inserting the IV catheter, the nurse should do this with the tourniquet.
What is reapply the tourniquet?
This is the next step after removing the needle and activating the safety device.
What is stabilizing the catheter and removing the tourniquet?
After the needle is inserted and blood is drawn, the tube(s) should be _______ to ensure additives are incorporated.
What is inverted at least 8 times?
This vein should be avoided because arm flexion can displace the IV catheter over time.
What is the antecubital vein?
Patients should be educated on the importance of reporting any tingling or numbness during IV insertion for this reason.
What is to prevent nerve damage or other complications?
This item is used to secure the IV site and protect it from contamination.
What is a transparent dressing?
After confirming patency, the nurse should check for these two indicators to ensure proper IV placement.
What are swelling and patient complaints of pain at the IV site?
The first tube to be collected during a blood draw to maintain sterility is for this test.
What is blood culture?
Nurses must document these four elements during a critical lab value communication.
What are the nurse's name, time of the call, patient name and room number, and critical value?
The nurse should educate patients that smaller catheters, such as a 22-gauge or 24-gauge, are typically not recommended for blood transfusions for this reason.
What is the increased risk of hemolysis or slow infusion rates?
These items are part of the essential supplies for starting an IV.
What are gloves, an IV catheter, an insertion kit, alcohol pads, extension tubing, a peripheral IV needle, and a 10 mL normal saline flush?
After observing blood flashback, the nurse should perform this action before advancing the catheter hub to the insertion site.
What is lowering the angle of the catheter?
EDTA tubes are collected later in the draw sequence to prevent contamination of this lab test result.
What is potassium?