Yes it is common practice and policy to insert an IV on someone who is at risk for or having heart arrhythmias... This is because, a mild arrhythmia has a great chance at changing to a very serious fatal arrhythmia... to keep you from dieing, we need the IV access so that we could administer Emergency Cardiac drugs to keep you alive, if this situation would arise. Heart monitors do not hurt. The box will have wires attached to it... Usually 5 leads... but some boxes only have 3 leads (wires).... at the end of the wire is a little round metal head that kind of looks like a little watch battery... these are placed onto you using sticky pads... it wont hurt at all... but if you are a man with a hairy chest, you should let them shave or clip away the hair because when its time to remove the box, it will hurt to take off the sticky pads... kind of like getting a bikinni wax! Ouch! The IV does pinch a little when they stick it in... but once it's in, you wont even notice it... You've had shots before... so you know how it feels to get a needle. Personally, I would ask them not to put the IV in your hand because those hurt a little more... ask if they can put the IV in your arm instead. Good Luck to you, Nurse Angie