No completely sane person actually enjoys getting stuck with a needle. Whether for medical tests, intravenous drips or a simple flu shot, most of us don't relish the point where the needle pierces our skin. Bearing this in mind it's not difficult to imagine being one of those people whose veins are hard to find.

These people may have grown accustomed to having to be stuck several times before their medication can be administered or their test begun. These are the people that know what an IV nurse is. These are the people that herald these nurses as heroes.

Last Friday was World IV Nurses Day. I confess until this interview I didn't know there were special nurses to carry out this function.

Nicole Jackson is the IV Therapy Coordinator at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH). "We are skilled nurses at inserting IV catheters," she said. "We also care and maintain central lines that are put in patients."

Everyone who needs infusion therapy is seen by at least one of the hospitals' seven IV nurses. This is the case whether the therapy is diagnostic testing or administering medication or nutrients. Anyone requiring infusion therapy at KEMH has the right to request a member of the team.

"Patients with difficult access (whose veins are difficult to locate) know us and will request us,' said Ms Jackson.

In fact for such patients IV nurses can be called even to draw their blood. "We are a resource for patients with difficult access," she said.

On average IV nurses are tending to 30 patients. "It varies greatly, but we see everyone with an IV on the general wards,' she said. Last month the nurses attended over 1,000 patients.

In addition to attending to patients directly, Ms Jackson and her staff train incoming nurses on how to insert IVs and catheters, as part of their orientation. 'Everyone who comes through nurse training has been trained but we find that some nurses are particularly good at it," she said.

These exceptional nurses are identified and serve as a back-up to the IV nurses. Currently there are about 20 nurses in this category. They are called Champions.

In addition to training nurses, IV nurses at KEMH are also tasked with educating patients and their families on the devices. This is particularly important for patients on long-term therapy or chemotherapy. Many of these patients, especially if their veins are difficult to find, will have a catheter implanted in their body. This makes administering their treatment much easier.

"In some cases this is also used in difficult patients who have asthma," she said. In the case of an asthma attack each second the person goes without air can be critical to the heart. A clear line to a vein can be crucial in these cases. An implanted catheter ensures they get the medication as quickly as possible.

Advice on the type of catheter to use and how to maintain it are also given by IV nurses. 'We base our recommendations on their age, the type of work they do and self esteem issues," said Ms Jackson. "Patients make the final decision and we train them and their families on its use," she added.

"We have an important role here," she said. "We make a big difference in patient care. We set standards for the hospital on IV use and are responsible for maintaining those standards. This decreases infection rates which in turn lead to a decrease in the length of stay."

So although you may never have heard of them, IV nurses at KEMH play an integral role in minimising hospital costs and that is certainly a good thing.