Hard to Find Veins Blood Draw, IVs, Venipuncture - Nursing, Phlebotomy
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ค. 2018
- Do you have trouble finding veins when drawing blood, starting IVs, or other venipuncture procedures? If so, you're not alone. Many professionals (working in phlebotomy or nursing) struggle with finding veins in many patients or can't find veins at all.
This video is mainly geared towards how to find hard veins for IV ACCESS. Some of these techniques can be applied for drawing blood too. HOWEVER, it is best practice NOT to have the patient pump the fist for BLOOD DRAWS because it can alter results.
Veins can be especially hard to find when patients are obese, dehydrated, or suffering from advanced cardiac or renal disease.
Luckily, there are some solutions that can help you find those difficult veins.
First, you have to learn to palpate the arm to learn what a vein feels like. Oftentimes, I will find a vein by touch, not sight. I'd recommend practicing on your own arm (or someone with great veins) to learn how this feels.
Second, you have to take advantage of tourniquets and hand pumping. Apply the tourniquet and instruct the patient to hold their arm to the side while pumping their fist. This helps those hidden veins become engorged. Sometimes you can't use this technique, though, especially in cases where blood is being drawn for sensitive lab work, but it can help in other cases.
Those two tips above have helped me find veins in most patients who don't have visible veins. Nevertheless, even those tips don't work in all cases.
If you still can't find a vein, you have a few other solutions. You might be able to use a vein finder or vein light tool. Some use bright lights to illuminate the skin, whereas others will use infrared to display vein locations.
In addition, I've consulted with the ultrasound techs, and I've been able to find veins that way.
And finally, you always have a central line option if nothing else works.
Full article: www.registerednursern.com/hard...
Follow Us:
Facebook: / registerednurserns
Instagram: / registerednursern_com
Twitter: / nursesrn
#phlebotomy
#nursing
#nurse
#venipuncture
#veins
Subscribe: th-cam.com/users/subscription_c...
Nursing School Supplies: www.registerednursern.com/the-...
Visit our website RegisteredNurseRN.com for free quizzes, nursing care plans, salary information, job search, and much more: www.registerednursern.com
Check out other Videos: / registerednursern
All of our videos in a playlist: • Insulin Onset Peak Dur...
Popular Playlists:
NCLEX Reviews: • NCLEX Study Strategies
Fluid & Electrolytes: • Fluid and Electrolytes...
Nursing Skills: • Nursing Skills Videos
Nursing School Study Tips: • Nursing School Study Tips
Nursing School Tips & Questions" • Nursing School Tips & ...
Teaching Tutorials: • Teaching Tutorials
Types of Nursing Specialties: • Types of Nursing Speci...
Healthcare Salary Information: • Healthcare Salary Info...
New Nurse Tips: • New Nurse Tips
Nursing Career Help: • Nursing Career Help
EKG Teaching Tutorials: • EKG/ECG Interpretation
Dosage & Calculations for Nurses: • Dosage Calculations Nu...
Diabetes Health Managment: • Diabetes Health Managment
Hey, everyone! This video is mainly geared towards how to find hard veins for IV ACCESS. Some of these techniques can be applied for drawing blood too. HOWEVER, it is best practice NOT to have the patient pump the fist for BLOOD DRAWS because it can alter results.
Website: www.registerednursern.com/
Nursing Skills: th-cam.com/video/G5-Rp-6FMCQ/w-d-xo.html
Facebook: facebook.com/RegisteredNurseRNs/
Instagram: instagram.com/registerednursern_com/
Twitter: twitter.com/nursesrn
That was going to be my comment. Good catch/clarification.
Thanks for the videos..they are so educative .
Hii medam
You are an excellent instructor with a friendly demeanor and excellent presentation. Add a touch of Southern style to that & A+
I have a vein in my neck I hsve to have. Anesthetists spent hours on me several times uzing ultrasound etc to no effect so its always my neck. If only theyd listen to me rather than stab me 20 or 30 times making my nerves on fire!! I refuse treatment now if they wont do my neck. I was an injecting drug user for 24 years but my Mum said as a kid in hospital they had really hard times finding veins anyway. I swear they just wana hurt me cos my past.
When i was learning about veins my trainer said to close my eyes and feel. Never to rely on your eyes always always feel. Because of that training I rarely miss. Know what veins feel like by touch. Best advice ever
Danielle Fryman as a vet tech, this is absolutely what we do! We never see a vein through all that hair. And we still
Will close our eyes to feel a vein!
I just did it n I can feel my veins easily thanks hope this helps in Cannulation process.
Closing your eyes?? Let's hope you don't find an artery eh!
My sister is a nurse and I heard this too. Its especially essential on people with difficult/hard to find veins. Think about it ladies, your other senses are more heightened when your eyes are closed. I'd trust a legally blind person to stick me before I would to a phlebotomist...No offense against phlebotomist and my apologies if anyone on this thread is one, I just had 2 bad experiences with 2 different ones in a row and I have veins like a man...but still look very feminine.😂 Both times, they blew my veins and they became very engorged! Everytime I had to go to the E.R., each nurse would look at my arm with dread but quickly change their facial expression to, "Oh thank you...its gonna be an easy shift!"Lol!! One actually said to me,"Ooh, I have a variety of choices here...I'm glad you're my patient."😂
I learned not too long after my plasma donating experience, that you only had to do no more than 6 months to a year to become legally certified! Jeez, No wonder people that didnt know me would automatically assume, yep, she shoots dope. They never said it to my face of course, it was just written all over theirs. Needless to say, I will not donate plasma or blood again unless it's by someone who is blind or has been to college for 4 years.Lol!!!
@Daniela Gonzalez that's when you should say to their little arrogant butts, "And this is why I'm the teacher and you're the student...never doubt nor disrespect the way I teach you or you'll have a lot of angry patients and no job one day."LOL!! Ok, the second part was a little harsh, but it irritates me to know that these little "know it alls" are silently disrespecting your way of teaching and if they're verbal about it, I beg you to put your foot down and give it to em straight. I would make it fun like,"Yeah, anyone can be a teacher without college for this job...All I did was apply and was hired on the spot...They were so impressed I went to You Tube university that I obviously knew my shit!😀" Then after that, I'd say, please don't question my teaching skills again, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't a badass!Haha!!!
You sound like such an awesome teacher. I just hate it when our future generation act as if they can do it their way to show off. That's scary bc I'm in my 40's and don't like babies treating me like a Guinea pig.
In 2005 I almost lost my life. My stomach started extending and bruising right before my eyes and the pain...omg....If I didnt know any better I'd swear I'd been shot! I waited 8 hours before I decided to sneak my ex boyfriends keys (He was a jerk and thought I was being a hypochondriac) and drive myself to what happened to be a Medical College, so I had at least 8 to 10 students standing in my room watching and learning while I was in the worst pain I had ever experienced! Labor pain was a piece of cake in comparison to this. I remember them alternating morphine and Delauta in my iv and the pain was so excruciating that both narcotics felt like they just gave me tylenol. Lol!!! Then all of a sudden everytime I would try to ask a question or utter any sound, my body would involuntary jolt and I remember asking why that was hapoening/and so thankful for my lack of knowledge bc the head Dr. didnt answer me. He just said, OR STAT NOW! SORRY MAM, WE NEED TO PUT YOU UNDER BC OUR SONOGRAM IS SHOWING A MASS BLOCKING YOUR FEMALE ORGANS. MY NAIVE SELF WAS LIKE, SURE ,OK, I JUST WANT THIS PAIN GONE. I WOKE UP IN MY ROOM WITH A STUDENT AND THE MAIN TEACHING DR. SITTING NEXT TO ME. Even though I was groggy from the narcotics I still remember exactly what he said,"Young lady, God must not want you yet bc you shouldn't be alive but I'm glad you are....I'm sad to say I had to remove an ovary so if you want children, you'll only ovulate every other month now but your pain was caused from an ovarian cyst that just grew to the size of a grapefruit before it finally ruptured (very rare bc cysts generally pop before they can cause potentially death or permanent damage that's irreversible ) so when that rupture happened, it was so fast and had too much force on your ovary causing it to not only twist, but snap al.ost in half, hence the reason why you saw bruising on your stomach so fast. You were hemorrhaging internally and lost 2 pints of blood...Now I can safely tell you that the reason why your body was jolting when you tried to speak was bc it was going into shock, preparing to die. I ignored your question bc I didnt want your heart rate to go up causing more and faster hemorrhaging. When I observed my student doing your laparoscopy, and saw the severity on the monitor, I immediately told him to step aside bc this was no time for practice. She's going to die so just watch and learn!
I will always be extremely grateful to that Dr. And wish I knew his name bc he was a savant at saving my life and I will always appreciate that hospital too bc at that time I had no insurance and they could've easily sent me home to die or just waited for me to die in the hospital. But they didn't and in this town where I live, we have hospitals that wont refuse you bc of the law, but they dont have to do surgery if they dont want to due to medical costs without insurance and there are some arrogant Dr.s with the worst bed side manners that are quick to tell you, yeah, sorry, we will keep you comfortable but you're SOL otherwise bc you are uninsured and it will cost me a lot to do it. I remember that Dr. Saying ,why didnt you go to MCG where they take indigent patients? I replied, Bc asshole, I live closest to you and you need to truly seek a different profession bc you suck at bed side manners. Just bc you know your shit and are a rock star as a surgeon, doesn't make it acceptable to be rude to people who are poor/uninsured! You better work your magic with kindness or prepare to lose your job, your wife,cars,nice house and your fancy livelihood! Bc I swear, I'll sue,win and buy your house afterwards. LMAO!!!
SORRY, I'm a talker as you can tell! Lol!!! I get lost in it and not realise how much I've said or typed. Anyhow, dont let those students act like the teacher...Show them who's boss when they decide to act like you are just one of the students too. EXCUSE ME, I'M THE TEACHER AND IF YOU DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES LIKE I ASKED, THERES DOOR, DONT LET IT HIT YOU IN THE ASS ON THE WAY OUT.😂🤐😉
Thank you Sarah so much! Because of you, I passed my nursing school and NCLEX this week! I am a nurse because of your help!
Thank you for this video! I've been a nurse in a skilled nursing facility for 6 months, and venipuncture has been my absolute nemesis.. yesterday I just wanted to quit nursing because I felt like a complete failure when I stuck two different patients three times each and failed to draw blood.. I know there are some nurses who don't even try, but I feel like this is a critical portion of my job and I must overcome this inability.. thank you for these tips so I can implement them the next time I make that great battle!
I'm proud of you! Keep going. Im a mobile phlebotomist and i draw blood for home health and skilled nursing facilities and i have days like that too.. im only 2 months in. I know it can be discouraging but i was told that these are the most difficult patients because they are so sick but WE GOT THIS!!! One day you are going to do it and its going to be a breeze ☺️💞
I'm a medical ass n do tons n tons of phlebotomy, I do hits n misses all day everyday, rest advice, very professional...ty!!!!!:)
Don't give up nursing just because of that.
Try the tips in the video and my tips I mentioned in the comments.
Also try checking your position to the arm or hand or the patients arm or hand. It may be off and that is why your missing.
If you are still having a hard time, try taking a phlebotomy class. There are great classes out there that can help.
As a phlebotomist, there will be days like that, but treat every patient as a new start. And don't psych yourself out. You can do it.
I have been an RN for 20 years but can always learn more. Your videos are amazing!!! Thank you.
Sarah, you are an amazing nurse and an inspiration to me. I'm a nursing student working on a BSN degree. I keep you in my thoughts as a source of strength. Your videos are wonderful and very professional. Thank you for helping future nurses with your expansive knowledge and understanding of the nursing profession! Your spirit is lovely! Respectfully, Lilia
Sarah, you are certainly an inspiration to me! I'm not in medical field...just a patient. I've Never had trouble getting blood drawn in a lab. Few days ago, I was turned away as a staff person could not find a vein in my arm. Now I know she didn't even use a turnicut, or have me pump my hands. Thanks! Thought I was a dead man walking.😀
I’m a home infusion nurse - I use a warm compress to help dilate the vein
Thanks a lot Sarah for the very educative tutorials. Forever grateful.
You are really a life savior! Been watching your videos with my nursing classmates! Thank you for being a TH-cam Nursing educator!
studying medical lab technology... this was surely helpful... thank you!
I never knew id be shooting blind until I went to school to be a phlebotomist. Thanks for your videos.
This is so helpful! I usually get discouraged when I can't find veins on a patient but this helped a lot ❤
In which department you work miss
This is me.
I have no interest in the medical field, but I got my blood drawn yesterday and I came here just to browse lol but I always found it incredible how the nurses could feel for a vein they couldn't see, and then after they clean the area and prep the needle and go to insert it in my arm they remember exactly where it was and get it on the first go! I could probably find a vein but no way I'm gonna remember where it was lol
Thank you for the gravity technique!! It was very helpful!!
I spent 6 years in a hospital after a near death incident. I kept getting staph infections so they replaced my iv every 3 days. I was on TPN for 10 months and that ripped thru a bunch of central, sub clavian and a hickmans?
I have many scars from all the ivs over and over. Arms, legs, feet, hands, chest and my neck. The first year you could see veins on my arms. Now I only end up in the hospital about once a year or two and it takes about 5 tries. Once it took 17 tries.
Love your accent. I spent time in AL, MS & TN. If I had to guess I'd say Alabama.
She forgot to mention Hydration! A VERY important matter! The Patient needs to be hydrated with at least 30 to 40 ounces of water within 60 minutes of venipuncture. This makes about an 80% greater probability of locating a vein. Typically works ever time!
Thank you! Info is very useful.
Hi, great video and I might add some: After applying the tourniquet, ask the patient to relax the arm. Then bend his arm around 60 degrees, you can often feel deeper veins at one point. And they are with the bounciness and rubber feeling well to identify. When extending the arm slowly, with the finger on the vein, you can feel where the vein is going-sometimes disappearing beside the tendon. Not always working, but often. Last resort is the jugularis externa on the neck: Lying down flat, head to the left or right side and looking, if patient can and no medical risk, holding breath a second, the jugularis will appear, even in short necks. But careful and stay superficial.
What is the cause because this just happened to me today
Thank you! You have helped me sooo much. I have watched you through nursing school, through NCLEX, and now I’m a baby nurse and feel so lost! Coming back to you is so comforting and your info helps soo much 🤗
omg how the heck do you find veins on them?
Thank you for this video 🙏
wow really appreciate your lecture because it has giving me more insight about nursing. thanks
Thank you so much! Your videos are a life saver!
THANKYOU! As a haemophiliac who has had a torrid time with minor persistent bleeding episodes over the last 10 months, and went through two prophylactic medications for vaccination plus a subsequent shoulder blade injury, I have now been put on a permanent prophylactic regime. 2000 unida every 2 days was recommended, but I went through 6 needle sets and 5 veins the first day trying to find a vein. Same today actually and I found the lighting to be playing tricks with me. Só warming veins before using them wouldn't help if I saw the vein but was actually adjacente to it. In 33 years I haven't had as much struggle as I have um the last half year but I have a couple of tips plus this video now.
This is helpful, and you have a beautiful voice!
Thank you Sarah ,you are an amazing nurse.
Thank you! I had a clinical where I thought a tendon was a vein until my nurse preceptor told me otherwise. Glad to know I’m not alone, thanks! :-)
Love your channel, as a nurse, we have to be creative, i used to wrap the arm in a soft hot pack!! Helps a lot
What is a hot pack ?
Just by watching this video veins on my right hand started popping out. Thanks !!!
Thank you like always you helped me a lot!
A few years ago, a nurse poked me 4 times finding my veins, and she didn't even apologize. I still have trauma drawing blood
In army they pierced me 7 tunes in one arm and 6 in the other
Thank you ! I just got certified as a phlebotomist so this is handy information to know 😊
They dont teach this as part of the curriculum‽ Ffs
Well I am glad I found this video. Halfway through Phlebotomy and I have found one vein on 16 people. Will be trying this.
This was so helpful! I’m currently a student working on my BSN and I just got a job as a tech where I’m doing new skills such as drawing blood and I haven’t learned it in school yet. I was certified at a quick course at the hospital stating that I was able to take blood, but it was never really that helpful. Practicing on a silicone arm is way different than the real thing. This was so helpful. Thank you so much.
This Was Awesome Thank You Sooo Much it helped me out Greatly!!!
These vids are very helpful for sure but the only way you get better at IV's is to do them continually and often. It is a skill. Practice makes perfect and use it or lose it.
It really is frustrating everytime we receive patients for IV at home. Sticking has always been a big challenge for me. There were times I can stick for just the first try but most of the times either twice, 3 times or not getting any vein at all. These patients are long term dialysis and diabetic patients and really hard to stick. You apply the torniquet but you won't get any visible vein. It is frustrating because of the hassle the patient has to go through when you send them to ER or clinic just to get the IV access done.. Its already giving me anxiety everytime we get patients for IV.. 😞
I am a first year Medical Technology student and I hope to successfully learn how to perform phlebotomy this semester. Thank you for all your tips! ❤️ ❤️❤️
So youre already 3rd year now, hows medtech?
This will be helpful for me.. Thank you
Been watching nurse Sarah for a while love her
Thanks for providing such Useful information..As I am mbbs student I am learning all practical things from ur video.. Tq once again
This helped me a lot 💕
Great video. Keep up the great work.
Thank you so much for this information .
Thank you ☺️ your video helped so much !!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Thankyou so much, this is really helpful!
I am an RN and I also have veins that are very difficult to access for an IV or venipuncture. I am perfectly healthy without any renal disease. All my life I have had bad experiences with medical staff drawing blood from me or putting in an IV. However since I know my body well, when they listen to me and allow me to guide them, good ones can do it correctly on me.
Thank you so much!!!! This really helps me with my apprenticeship
Excellent. All I'd found so far was how-to's that did not go into the details, the mechanics, of how to! Thank you!
Could you please tell me what that "Illuminating" strip is called? And does it work with most cases? Great video by the way! I hope to learn a lot more because even though I'm a pharmacy technician it never hurts to ask or learn more in my opinion! :) Thanks!
🤓🤓🤓Thank you! Great tutorial on veins.👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽
Thank you your video help me so much
Jesus, this video brings the pain back. I wish every nurse watched this video.
I have bad veins because of a connective tissue disease. I think it’s important for nurses to know that Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome veins can be really easy to see, but are really Rollie poly and hard to hit.
If properly anchored, any vein can be accessed. Also if they go slow it can essentially push the vein away so good anchor and swift insert is key.
Great video!! Keep up the good work
Excellent video
i like the new set up
I have no veins. Nurses tell me you have to have veins somewhere! it’s dangerous cause if I have a life threatening emergency I can die from lack of a line so every time I’ve had my kids I had to have a line on my neck and they would flush it out every morning. I had that thing for a month when I was in the hospital with my third cause I had an infection. They put me upside down and I had to hold my breath and it hurt. It was such a big deal cause they did the warm compress, warm surgery blankets, ultrasounds and they even tried my ankles but I cried so much cause it hurt and they finally called the anesthesiologist to do the line on my neck. So crazy
Dang! I have very limited veins myself because of Chemotherapy. And my left arm cannot be used because of all the lymph-nodes I had to have removed because of surgery! So I feel you!! Yep, it does make me wonder what would happen in an extreme emergency where they needed to access a vein Very Quickly!?🤔#ScaryThought!😨
I'm the same way. They couldn't even get it from my neck.
Wow. That's horrid honey!
I love her voice. Southern woman are the best
You do have a beautiful voice, some southern accents are really harsh and twangy but yours is perfect and soothing, I bet you can calm down patients easily
Your green screen skills are better than most weather channels
Here because I am discouraged I couldn’t find my patients vein to start an IV a moment ago 😞. Embarrassed because it was their first time getting IV therapy and I felt so confident too. Patient had a dark skin complexion and the tiniest veins, and I always have a hard time starting IV drip with dark skin complexion. Definitely saving this video, And def goin to use gravity and eyes closed to my advantage for palpation next time. 🤞🏼thank you
Great explanation ,tx so much
Great, thank-you!
By the way. Best explanation . Thanks
really want to comment on your attractive and unike way of teaching and your amazing presentation thanks. my best wiches for you Dr, Emad
Great video and helpful information
This was super helpful, thank you!! I also had a question. I work at an IV center(we do vitamin infusions and etc) and I’ve seen some of the nurses apply a hot pack to the pt’s arm to help them find a vein. Have you seen or done that before??
I have, it helps dilate the veins!
For me if patients' viens are difficult to find i also ask them to drink a glass of water and wait a lil while to do draw blood surely, this time
Warmth with warm cloth helps to bring vein up too, when nothing else works.
This actually works. I use these tricks all the time and it helps a lot. Also, practice is helpful if you need it. I didn't need much but it just depends on your ability. Some people just seem to be naturally good at finding veins, I seem to be one of them. Also it helps if your patient is calm. If they're afraid, try to comfort them a bit.
Thank you so much. I must say you are so pretty. I am studying pathology collector the process of just attain the blood had so many steps. I sometimes miss but this technique is absolutely great idea. I think all hospitals nurses and doctors should use it. In our class we have Muslims and it's Ramadan. It makes live bleeds hard. Thanks to you I have struck gold. I will try this for the rest of my life. One thing though we were told not all veins that are popping out are good to take live bleed.as it may be the wrong vein and the lab would send it back to recollect. It's like taking blood from variscose veins the blood in their is collected pool of blood. We still need to palpate and find the right vein. Making sure they are not hard veins or the ones that roll.❤
I’m spoiled, I always have the ultrasound machine nearby that I can use. Since I learned how to use that it’s made life so much easier. Your tips are good for when that’s not around tho.
i thank u!!!!!!!
Why do nurses tend to roll their eyes when you tell them you are a hard stick? No one ever believes me until Im 3 or 4 tries in. I was having an MRI today, 5 nurses, 11 sticks using a vein finder, and 2 hours later they decided to forego the contrast. They even tried injecting lidocaine in my hand to keep the vein from convulsing. So frustrating.
Thanks a lot
Thank you so much I will tell my nurse next time I need a blood test or an IV love from London England❤
Thank you Nurse
For pediatric patient or even adults, using a LED penlight is the best way to find difficult veins for edematous extremities :) far better than a vein finder device :)
Very informative. Wish she or someone would talk about drawing blood on obese patients
On obese patients, the cephalic vein is going to be your best friend lol. These usually pop up much easier than your medial or basilic. These veins can be more painful because of the location but not more painful than having to be stuck over and over again. One and done most of the time.
Thank you ma'am....
very nice lacture
I'm not a nurse or a doctor or involved with the medical field at all. I have the biggest irrational fear of needles stemming from control issues. I'm amaturely studying how to find veins because having control helps alleviate my anxieties, and I have a blood test coming up in about a month. The doctor will be in the room directing me and anchoring the vein, but I'll have ultimate control, and I figured it can't hurt to study this before I go in. It never hurts to study for more than you think you'll need
Such a informative video, and I understand it's more towards IVs. I work as a medical secretary at the cancer clinic at our hospital, and we assist the nurses at the bed post (acute or palliative) in the early hours to draw blood. Our patients are usually bedridden when we arrive, so it's easy to let gravity to do the job. We also apply heat and look for other veins, on the hand or feet, this usually works like a charm. Usually no need for extra procedure like mentioned, we also get help from the bioengineers when needed. Would love to have a vein finder tho 😍 Thanks for excellent tips 👍🏻
Thank you so much
Appreciated 👌👌
Love the way you describe.👏👏
And in last you look so pretty 😘
I have such stubborn veins my nurses dont even bother trying to pick me without having a hot pad on my veins for 5 minutes or so first. This is due after a incident when it took 4 pokes to get a vein.
Thanks for sharing
Very healthy information
I really appreciate you taking the time to make this video. It’s actually quite informative. Unfortunately, I am a lost cause. I’ve really considered running some tests to see if I am alive and why do I not have veins?
Thanks
Thanks much easier now
Hi im a new subscriber. great tips thank u.
I have learnt alot from you 🥰 keep it up
Nice one my dear 🥰💕
Thanks for your video. I am not a nurse ( I repair machines) but found it very educative. I have big vain but my wife is the opposite.
Really helpful. Thanks
Thanks lot Madam 🙏🙏🙏
I need advice! First time I've ever had to draw someone so many times! He told me he had terrible veins and that they blew a lot. His veins on his hands were great, didn't put the tourniquet too tight and went for it.... nothing.... vein wasn't visible anymore and no blood flow. Tried his order hand and drew 4 of the 5 tubes i had but again the vein disappeared and stopped flowing. Patient said he didn't mind me trying again so I did and nothing like the first one. Horrible experience! I even had a very seasoned rn come in and try and the same thing happened to her. I was so discouraged and disappointed in myself. I still feel awful for torturing him 😞
I can't give you any conventional advice as I'm not a medical professional, but as an IVDU in recovery with severely damaged veins, I can tell you that most of us who are really difficult sticks probably just appreciate the empathy and dedication, knowing better than to blame the phlebotomist for not succeeding. As long as you're as warm and gentle as possible...don't be cocky/dismissive if the patient is telling you they are more difficult than most "hard sticks", and listen to them if they tell you which veins never work, and which are more likely to work. The last time I tried getting blood drawn, it took over 2 hours and 14 failed attempts split between all 7 phlebotomists in the lab. Getting blood drawn is always a stressful and triggering situation for me and I feel really shitty when I'm looked/handled like just an obstacle, like a piece of meat. But I'm really comforted and grateful for the ones who are empathetic, thoughtful and care about me as a whole, not just as a test of their skill. And just know...some people are extremely difficult sticks, no matter how experiences and skillful you are. I'm sure I've caused more than a few really great phlebotomists/nurses to question whether they were off their game that day.
I second whats Roxy said
As always thank you Sarah 💕
I can find veins but lately, I've gotten several patients come in with bruises from where I drew. What am I doing wrong?
looks good!!! nice hair style!!!!!!