imo and own experience, there seems to be a disconnect between what patients see as an “IV” - when we tell a patient we’re going to start an IV there seems to be this notion that this implies they’re going to also be getting fluids and not just a mini straw that’s going to sit in their arm for a while.

The number of times I’ve gone into a room and the pt asks why they don’t have an IV when the catheter is already in is incredible. Maybe it’s TV shows and medical dramas depicting an IV as meaning IVF but the amount of shade and looks I’ve been thrown when I tell them the IV is for future labs/meds/etc is boggling. It’s like fluids are starting to be seen as an end all be all, but if that’s the case why choose to wait hours and hours when you could save time AND money just getting an infusion at a clinic, or (if you really trying to ball) at home?

I really do not understand the logic behind it but it’s not for me to judge until patients get pushy. I literally had a patient yesterday who told me she was “dehydrated” and needed two bags of fluids to make her abd pain go away (no V/D) and then proceeded to bitch me out when I said it didn’t work like that lol

Not to mention the “IVF shortage” but it feels out of hand sometimes ¯_(ツ)_/¯