Book excerpt: Nurses and paramedics pass down intravenous skills to new employees as best they can, but the fine details are often missed or forgotten. Bob Rynecki, a registered nurse and an award-winning paramedic, wrote this guide so you can establish peripheral intravenous lines easily and effectively. Taking a no-frills approach, he delivers the tricks and tips that will enable you to: become the go-to person for starting difficult IVs; boost your confidence no matter what your level of experience; succeed on the first stick almost every time. Many medical professionals desperately need to learn this basic skill because its so often overlooked in school. Many students practice starting an IV on an anatomical arm with bulging veins that doesnt mesh with what they most often find at the bedside or in the field. Drawing upon his nineteen years of experience as a bedside critical care nurse and his fifteen years of experience as an EMT/Paramedic, Rynecki shares personal stories and examples that will help you succeed in even the most challenging circumstances. Whether youre a novice or veteran clinician, youll improve your proficiency at initiating lifelines with The Art of the IV Start.