Attention Phlebotomists: If a patient explicitly tells you “Find your most skilled technician now, because I am a really difficult stick and they ALWAYS have trouble finding a good vein – every time I’m here I get poked multiple times,” it is not time to be cocky and assume that you are that person (or that the patient is exaggerating). This is a time for humility. Swallow your damn pride and be realistic about your skills. If you aren’t the best then find the person who is.
What you should definitely not do is pick a vein in the patient’s hand (which may be very normal for that particular patient), insert the needle, and then, when the blood does not flow, proceed to violently rape the patient’s veins until the patient is sucking their breath and biting their lip and trying not to scream in front of their watching toddler. Â Perhaps it is sometimes true that pushing the needle into the vein a smidge more will get the blood flowing, but doing it a dozen or more times is overkill and it will leave a bruise/lump the size of a small grape under the patient’s skin.Â
Also, learn to admit defeat. When you’ve violated one vein beyond all comprehension, having to start over with another vein just adds insult to injury. Not that I would know anything about this personally. But 9 out of 10 crappy-veined patients agree that it would be seriously annoying.
March 9th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Do I forsee some shirking of one’s blame in the needle-fearing-child department?
Just saying, I’d totally pass the buck to the lousy vein rapists if I was said patient.
March 10th, 2009 at 11:17 am
I smell a lawsuit!!!
I think you should apply for the Blood Drive poster girl-person position!
I am however a little dissapointed that we were not treated to a visual. I feel the story is just not quite complete without an acurate depiction of said skin-grape.
good tim…ugh…can I have some orange juice or a cookie?
March 10th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Hey Shan, I love your blog… check out the award I nominated you for
http://occasionalmartha.blogspot.com/2009/03/awardfor-moi.html
March 10th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
The last time I went in for a draw the tech went to get her manager. The manager took it as an opportunity to TEACH.
SEVEN sticks later… including BOTH hands… they get their blood.
Bunch of damn vampires!
March 30th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Ack! Totally agree! Once when I was getting blood taken, the technician tried once, failed, and then went and got someone else. I said nervously, “Is something wrong?” and she said, “Oh, no—we just have a policy of ‘one strike and we’re out.’” I thought that was a REALLY GOOD POLICY, especially because the second technician immediately did a good job.
April 16th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
I totally agree. they should only stick you once. if they dont get it then that is their fault