IVT Training: No Pain, No Gain

Intravenous Therapy (IVT) Training has been part of a newly registered nurse’s list of essential training requirements since 1993. It’s a prerequisite before a nurse can actually get full-time employment or training from any local hospital. And because I’m still waiting in the balance for a job not yet confirmed, I signed up for a 4,000 worth of ANSAP-accredited IVT training (inclusive of the 3-day basic IVT training, 2-day completion duty, 1-day additional phlebotomy training, and the food during the training). I was shocked when I learned that the said training program would be held at hospitals located in Marikina and totally far from my place of residence. The fee was non-refundable so I have no choice but to withstand the backbreaking journey to these hospitals. For those of you who are wondering how on earth did I end up in Marikina, blame it on CHEERS. Although the phlebotomy training was a good bargain from CHEERS training centre, I never thought that they would refer us to a hospital which worked for my own disadvantage (from Bocaue, Bulacan to Marikina yun, kamusta naman di ba?!!).On the other hand, the three days I have spent in the training has been fulfilling and educational, so far. Plus, I will not be wasting my time waiting for the December 2011 IVT Trainings in certain hospitals. I’m glad that I have passed the 3-day basic IVT training. Although I haven’t heard of anyone who failed the training, it feels so good that I’m slowly gaining confidence performing IVT insertions and all the basic skills included on the program. I’m now endorsed for the 2-day completion duty on November 9-10 at another Marikina hospital which is the sister hospital of the previous one where our basic IVT training was held. I’m doing responsible journalism here so please bear with me if I’m not disclosing any hospital names.

IVT Training DAY 1: Hot and Boring!!!!

The venue was held at the 8th floor of the new building so I had to climb stairs and ride the elevator to get there. First impression was almost good; the place made me feel like I’m on a wedding reception or something except for the dysfunctional air-conditioner who turned the rest of the day a total struggle to escape from the sweltering heat. In addition to that, the program started so late and the food they served during the entire training was not that satisfying at all. We had some basic discussions about history of IVT, ANSAP, Anatomy, Drug Computations, BT, TPN, and the likes. These are boring topics but I managed to survive it by listening attentively and pretending that the air-con is working. We also took the pre-test and because I did my reading assignments beforehand, I thought I fared well.

Just a simple tip: do your part and read the basics in advance like the veins and arteries of the arms and hands, TPN, blood transfusion, the golden rules of drug administration, and other basic infos about the IVT.

For IVT General Information, go to this link:

http://ivthub.blogspot.com/2008/09/faq-on-ivt-training.html

For Basic IVT Procedures (which will help you for the practical exam or return demonstration on the 3rd day), go to this link:

http://ivthub.blogspot.com/

IVT Training DAY 2: Skills Demo….

I didn’t know what was wrong with the air-con but we were once again deprived of cool atmosphere during the second day. One of the preceptors told us that they are still fixing it and even reminded us that nurses are usually patient and tolerant so we have no choice but to continue learning while sweating (kamusta naman yun?!). We spent the first half of the day discussing the topics we missed during the previous day and another half by learning the 12 basic IVT Procedures as they were demonstrated one by one by our preceptors. These are the same procedures we were asked to perform during the last day to test our skills and knowledge. We also had our post-test which was totally the same with our pre-test so I thought that it was done for formality’s sake.

IVT Training DAY 3: The Painful Finale…

We were asked to come as early as 6:00 AM wearing our scrub suits and white uniforms. The program started early perhaps because Mrs. Elsa Castro, one of the big names of ANSAP, was there or the preceptors all want the event to be completed the earliest time possible. We were asked to perform the 12 basic IVT procedures one by one in front of a preceptor assigned to a specific procedure. It was nerve-wracking at first but I was able to complete all the 12 skills with few instances of memory lapses and stuttering. After completing the checklists for the 12 procedures, we were asked to find our partner for the one-on-one IVT insertion, the “culminating event” of the training. Michelle, who was my partner during the phlebotomy training, was my victim for the second time around. She struggled a bit to puncture my vein but eventually got the technique. On the other hand, I was able to find her metacarpal vein and got an early backflow but I was very confused on what part of the catheter should I retract. I forgot that it’s the needle that I should retract so I ended up opening the needle cap and blood just flowed freely from my hands. I panicked for a while especially when my preceptor seemed to turn mad at me for doing something stupid but I was able to get the whole point easily and troubleshoot the problem with poise. It was a bit frustrating but experience is the best teacher. I’m excited for exposing myself more on hospital settings and hone my IVT skills.

The training experience was not perfect for me but it’s the learning experience that I have got that will matter at the end of the day. It’s more than needle pricking because you will learn and discover a lot from your colleagues, from the preceptors, and from yourself as well. It was challenging and fulfilling at the same time to know that I’m few steps away from starting my exciting nursing career. – Nars A. Ko

One Gory Thursday

Blood, blood, and blood………………

My nursing journey officially starts today. And what do y’all think is the perfect way to start fresh in the nursing field? Nothing but a day fully packed with needle pricks and blood stains. This morning, I went straight to CHEERS (Community Health Education Emergency Rescue Services) office, located along Quezon Ave., to attend a brief training session about blood collection or what we nurses know as phlebotomy. Actually, I signed up to CHEERS for my IVT Training and this one-day phlebotomy training is part of the whole package. The IVT Training costs 4,000 pesos but I have considered it as very good bargain because it is inclusive of the phlebotomy training (which you won’t find in any other training centers or hospitals), the 5 day-IVT Training (3 days of didactic and skills demo , 2 days of completion duty to be scheduled),  the snacks/lunch meals that you will eat throughout the whole training, and the processing fees for the ANSAP IVT license. In addition to these, the IVT Training will be conducted by ANSAP preceptors themselves inside ANSAP-accredited hospitals so I’m very sure I’m in very good hands. The hospitals where we will be assigned during the main IVT Training are the only problem I got because St. Vincent Hospital and Sta. Monica Hospital are both located around Marikina, which is obviously, not a stone’s throw away from Bulacan. I’m in no way trying to promote CHEERS because I made the decision purely because I want to bypass the need to make reservations to certain well-known hospitals where slots for the IVT training fill up almost faster than the speed of light. I’m just bored and tired of waiting, that’s all.

The training went smoothly from a short discussion and actual blood collection. We had to find our own partners for the hands-on experience. Luckily, I was able to pick Michelle (batch 2011 as well) as my partner perhaps because she was my seat mate and approachable just like me. When it was our turn to prick and traumatize each other’s veins, I found out just how lucky she was for having my fat,  palpable vein and how miserable I turned out to be after learning that my needle had to play hide-and-seek to catch her feeble veins. Luckily, after two attempts (one traumatizing prick for each of her arm) and assistance from our trainor, I finally managed to find the right target and get the amount of blood required. I learned a lot of tips and strategies from this experience so I’m confident that through constant exposure and practice, I will gain the confidence of a certified phlebotomist and IV therapist. How to overcome the tremors? Just be confident and practice relentlessly. After all, you can overcome performance anxiety by focusing on what you do and not on other people watching what you do. After a bloody 5 hours of exposure, we were given our certificates of attendance and informed about the details for the IVT training (which will start on Saturday at St. Vincent).

RNHeals Application………….

1. San Lazaro Hospital, Quiricada St., Sta. Cruz, Manila

After the bloody encounter, I travelled straight from Balintawak to Tayuman station of LRT-1 to submit my requirements for the RNHeals program at San Lazaro. I’m not at all hopeful for this one because in addition to the fact that some of the HR employees are not even aware that the said program exists in the hospital when I came there Monday to inquire, one HR guy told me this afternoon that they’re not sure if we will be called because it is just for ‘pooling’ purposes, meaning they will just collect applications until they are notified as to when the program will officially start.

For those who are interested for the RNHeals program, DOH main office (the one beside Jose Reyes) has been officially closed for applications and will resume it by January next year (probably mid-January). And don’t even bother to try JRMMC because  I’ve been there already and was told by a chief nurse that they already have nurses under the program taking the exam and that they don’t know when they will resume hiring. If you want to leave your resume like me, then it’s up to you. But don’t expect a call from them considering that they already have  hundreds of applications in store.

For San Lazaro Hospital, here are the requirements:

 PRC ID, Board Rating, Board Certificate/Certificate of Passing, TOR, Diploma, Certificates of trainings and seminars, Resume, and Application letter addresses to Dr. WINSTON GO (Medical Center Chief II). Just enclose these requirements in a long brown envelope and submit it to the HR department located at the second floor.

2. Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital , Lope de Vega, Sta. Cruz, Manila

After submitting my requirements at San Lazaro, I spent almost 40 pesos of tricycle fare to get to Fabella only to learn that they will resume their hiring for the third batch of RNHeals applicants by November 28. They didn’t accept my requirements but the HR girl was very nice to me. Well, I have no choice but to go back on the specified date and prepare for the exam, which, according to her, will be their basis for selection of qualified nurses. For those who are interested, please bring original (for verification purposes only) and photocopies of the following documents: Board Certificate/Certificate of passing, PRC ID, Resume, Application letter addressed to Dr. RUBEN C. FLORES (Medical Center Chief II), Board Rating, TOR, College Diploma, Certificates of trainings and seminars, 2 copies of latest picture (white background, formal attire, passport sized), Birth Certificate (must be 18 to 35 years old) and/or Marriage Certificate (if married). Submit these requirements to the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer and Human Resource Division from November 28 up to December 2, 2011 (3rd batch).

And for registered nurses who are interested to apply at NCMH, I just received a Facebook notification just recently and I want to share it with you:

DOH RN HEALS Program already started. Hiring is open to a number of DOH hospitals including NCMH. Those interested to apply at NCMH, please prepare an application letter address to Bernardino A. Vicente, MD, FPPA, MHA, CESO IV Medical Center Chief II, National Center for Mental Health Thru Lucila O. espinosa, RN, MAN . Bring resume’ w/ picture, autobiography, board rating, PRC cert, PRC license, BSN diploma. Transcript of record, training & employment cert if available, NBI Clearance,& authenticated NSO Birth cert. prepare 2 sets of these requirements & 2×2 pic. Proceed to Nursing Service Ofc & be prepared to take an exam & interview. Come in business attire. goodluck nurses!!! (to my former students, this is a good opportunity, give it a try. limited slots only.) LOOK for Mr. Louie Marigmen for assistance. Pasted from <http://www.facebook.com/groups/118126851551661/>

I will try to post it here if ever I do hospital trek again next time for this RNHeals program. I hope my efforts will pay off eventually. After all, we’ll never know what’s in store for us in the future. No harm in trying so continue to try, try, and try. And while we nurses are waiting, let’s keep our prayers powerful and continue to train, learn, and build networks. Godspeed fellow dreamers!-Nars A. Ko