How To: Insert a peripheral venous access catheter for fluids

Not every nurse can get an IV every time, that's why it's important to stay in practice for the proper technique used for inserting a peripheral IV. This is a common medical procedure that all fields related to medicine should know. Even the soldiers in the military are taught how to insert an IV — every soldiers, not just the medics.

With the help of these step-by-step instructions, anyone could successfully provide intravenous solution with a peripheral venous catheter (or peripheral venous access catheter or peripheral venous line or PVC) into a peripheral vein for administering fluids and medicine. These are very details steps that are sure to give success each time.

The equipment you will need is: protective eyewear, protective gloves, bag of intravenous solution, appropriate IV tubing, a tourniquet, providone-iodine, alcohol swab, 2x2 gauze, an occlusive see-through dressing, a Jelco peripheral intravenous catheter, and some tape to secure the IV in place.

This video on the peripheral venous access procedure was produced as part of the Common Currency project at the Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. There might be slight variation of the procedure from institution to institution depending on policy and equipment used.