Gaining comfort in drawing blood?

Question

Hi:
I'm going to school for MA; last week we started blood draws and I was extermely nervous, so much so that once I completed the procedure I had tears. I think I was overwhelmed with the whole "first time" experience. I know practice makes perfect, but are there any pointers anyone can give me about being more comfortable and confident with drawing blood? Thanks:)

I'm not nervous about getting blood drawn form me, I am nervous about drawing blood from someone.

Answer 1

I was a professional phlebotomist for a few years. It can be a difficult thing to do well - on the one hand you have to be sensitive enough to how the patient is feeling to make adjustments and prevent reactions to the blood loss, but on the other hand you can't be so sensitive that you can't do the job at all. In my case, it was the latter factor which got to me... I knew that every day in the course of my job I was going to hurt people, they weren't going to like it, and there was pretty much nothing I could do about it (though I should mention that once you're practiced, it's not uncommon to have completely painless procedures).

Still, I was able to do it for years, so that says something. A lot of it is just mental preparation. So here's a few things that I used:

- For one thing, if you don't want to hurt the patient, you do better by staying mentally engaged and not emotionally engaged. It's okay if you get upset, but NOT DURING THE PROCEDURE. You have to stay focused on what you're doing to do as well as you can. And if you fill your mind with what comes next and what you're looking for, there isn't much room for how you feel about it until later.

- A lot of patients determine how they feel about what's going on by how YOU feel about what's going on. Thus, no matter what you are feeling it is important to APPEAR to be relaxed, calm, and even upbeat. If you panic, the patient will panic, and then you have a REAL problem on your hands. I was often surprised at how much digging around I could do in someone's arm if I just smiled while I was doing it.

- Also patients all WANT to be there on one level or another. Even if their doctor says, 'Go do this', they don't HAVE to. That makes it easier. Most of them are either more nervous than you are or completely blase about the whole procedure. So enjoy yourself as well as you can, help them to do likewise, and even if everything doesn't work out they may be game to try again.

- Lastly (and most importantly), LISTEN to what they say and try to accomodate people even if it will be harder for you. You obviously cannot violate good medical guidelines, but if the patient wants you to hit a harder vein, give it a try. If they want you not to adjust, don't. You need to build a level of trust with the patient. Once they understand that you're a TEAM, things often go a lot better. Remember the above (they want to be there), lay out their choices, and let them choose.

Hope that all helps. And good luck with your studies!

Answer 2

If giving tablets is a problem then ask the vet to get a compunding pharmacist to make the drug into a paste to be put in the food or a paste that can be absorbed thru the skin. With the blood tests get the first one 3 weeks after meds then less frequently. I also have an old skinny cat. But she is comfotable, still eats and uses her litter tray. The day that changes we will put her to sleep. We don't over medicate or investigate because she hates it. Just pallative care and keeping her comfortable now. If she needs blood tests, i give her a gas anaesthetic first. This works well for her. (every 6 months) Good Luck

Answer 3

HAHA the first two answers! Don't you people READ the questions first?
All I can say to you is practice, practice, practice. At least you're on the OTHER side of that needle. I used to hate getting blood draws but I get them so often for my IBD, it doesn't bother me anymore. I even watch the entire procedure now. It took me a long time to watch the needle go in, but I forced myself to and it's really no big deal anymore.
Now, SYNVISC injections to my knee are another story! THEY HURT like a mutha! IIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Answer 4

It gets better, trust me. I was incharge of 4 medics, and the 5 of us gave almost 30,000 shots and did about 20,000 blood draws before we went to Iraq, and did the same when we got back. Once you do that many, for 12 hour days 6 days a week for a month straight, you kinda get use to it. You will be ok, you just have to do it. I have faith in you!

Answer 5

Fist of all, relax! Remember, if you relax, you're less likely to hurt the patient. Also, here's a couple of things:

1. bevel up, and don't hesitate when you stick!
2. try to be as parallel as possible with the vein.
3. let the alcohol dry a bit. It acts to dull the patient's pain a bit.

You'll be fine, but just try to be a bit confident and not hesitate when you stick.

Best of luck.

Answer 6

Don't think about any pain being inflicted
remember that drawing their blood is actually helping them
act and think confident

Answer 7

I know how you felt, the first time I had to do phlebotomy I thought I'd drop the needle!!! I studied the anatomy of the vasculature in the arm until I could see it in my sleep. Knowing where those veins are helps alot.

Answer 8

I'm not sure but
Speaking from someone who is hard to draw blood from, PLEASE if you ever find a patient in front of you with difficult veins, don't torture them by poking them several times and huff and puff the whole time. =) this has happened to me a few times

Just get someone is more experienced and learn from them.

Answer 9

anxiety is normal. Just take a deep breath and keep telling yourself you are doing fine. The anxiousness will go away. Just knowing that will help you.

Answer 10

Don't watch when they are putting the needles in and just take deep breathe relax your muscles! Say a prayer.......