Teaching venipuncture in an outpatient surgery unit

In the spring of 1992, the skill of venipuncture, inserting an intravenous (IV) needle, was added to the last quarter in an associate degree nursing curriculum. After theory and demonstration, 71 graduating students were rotated through an 8-hour venipuncture practice laboratory in an outpatient surgery unit. The instructor worked with a single student to start an IV line on a client. The personalized instructional method and sequencing of events resulted in a positive learning experience.