Tag: Intraosseous access

Over a billion peripheral intravenous (IV) lines are placed annually worldwide, making venous access one of the most common medical procedures. This critical skill allows healthcare providers to draw blood, administer fluids, and deliver life-saving medications directly into the bloodstream, with different methods tailored to specific patient needs.

While the idea might sound alarming, the answer to **can a needle penetrate a bone?** is yes, but only under specific medical conditions and with specialized tools. In contrast, a routine injection needle will merely meet resistance, causing pain but not harm, if it accidentally hits bone.

Intraosseous (IO) access is a critical procedure for delivering fluids and medications in emergency situations when venous access is difficult or impossible to obtain. While often associated with physicians and paramedics, many people wonder: **can nurses put in an IO?** The answer is yes, a registered nurse (RN) can insert, maintain, and remove an IO device, provided they have received specific training and demonstrated competency, and it falls within their state's nurse practice act and facility policy.

Medical professionals have several safe and effective alternative procedures for intravenous (IV) access when typical arm sites are unavailable or compromised. In fact, venous access can be established in numerous body locations, providing life-saving fluids and medication in any situation, answering the question: **Where do they put an IV if you don't have arms?**