"The nursing position I held before my current job in pediatrics was at an infusion center, so I spent most of my days starting and managing patient IVs as they received their infusion medications. Because I worked in the infusion center for so long and started so many IVs, starting them is almost second nature to me. Many times, I find that patients are anxious about getting VIs, even in an infusion center environment, when they come in every so many weeks to get their medication; and since anxiety and stress can cause vasoconstriction, I do everything I can to explain the procedure and help the patient feel comfortable. I also take additional measures to make starting IVs easier on myself and the patient, such as placing a warm compress on the site to dilate the veins and, if possible, offering the patient water to help them hydrate. All these interventions help make the IV process easier for me but it also helps patients relax and become more comfortable."

"While I was in nursing school, I was trained on administering IVs and in my clinical rotations, I had the opportunity to get hands-on experience, especially during my rotations in the emergency department and urgent care. While in these rotations, I started more than fifteen IVs, and I became very comfortable in doing so. However, since I finished nursing school and started working in the outpatient adult medicine clinic, I have not had the opportunity to practice this skill and I have not started any VIs in over two years. But, I feel very comfortable with my IV skills, and I think I will be able to quickly get back into good practice in only a few weeks."

"I am very comfortable starting and managing IVs, and, in fact, I start IVs on a daily basis at my job and I have for many years. Since I have spent the past decade working as an inpatient floor nurse, it has been my responsibility to ensure to properly manage my patients' IVs and move or reinsert them if needed. In my unit, I have a reputation for being able to start IVs even in the most difficult veins or the most difficult locations, and I am often called to help my colleagues start difficult IVs when they are running into trouble."

"Back in 2013, I spent nine months working in an urgent care department, and in this position, I did start IVs on the patients who were receiving intravenous fluids or medications. While I have not worked in a position where I had to start IVs since then, I was able to work through many difficult situations while working in that position. I remember one patient who was extremely dehydrated and needed IV fluids to rehydrate, and while I was searching for a vein in her arm, I could not find one because her veins were so deep and small, which was worse because of her condition. Rather than poking her multiple times or taking the risk of blowing a vein, I found a vein in her hand that I could use and was able to successfully start an IV in her hand."

"Starting IVs is one of my strongest skills as a nurse. I've had a lot of experience with IV starts throughout my career and with the types of settings I have worked in. Typically, I am able to start an IV by simply using my visual skills and my sense of touch. If necessary, I have used portable vein finders in the past. I am now the nurse that is called by my fellow teammates if an IV is needed on a patient that has a history of difficult IV starts."