I just have to rant a little.

I had my pre-op testing done this morning. The nurse was very nice and competent. Until it came time for the blood draw.

I was a Paramedic. I used to start IV's bouncing down the road in the back of an ambulance with poor lighting. I was an ICU and ER nurse. I have worked with patients who are VERY difficult sticks with teen-einey little fragile veins. I wasn't a vein whisperer like some of the people I've worked with, but I was pretty darned good. Co-workers would ask me to take a look if they'd already tried a couple of times and hadn't come up with anything.

It's a skill, yes. But it is not rocket science. I hadn't started an IV in 20+ years when I went back to nursing school, and didn't get much opportunity to practice in school. But it wasn't very long on the new job before I got my groove back. Like riding a bike so to speak.

Basically, I have a lot of experience to back up this rant.

I have good veins. I was the one everyone wanted to practice on in Paramedic school (by the time I went to Nursing school, they'd stopped allowing practice on fellow students). They aren't all that visible, which is a little surprising considering my skin is incredibly light. But they palpate (finding by feel) VERY easily.

Drawing blood isn't nearly as difficult as IV sticks, for a bunch of technical reasons I'll spare you. If anyone misses my veins, either I'm dehydrated, or they need more practice. Blowing the vein, or going through it, that happens a lot. So I know exactly what the bruise pattern looks like for each. Blowing it can't always be predicted. Going through (transecting) it, that is usually sloppy technique with normal sized veins.

Lady COMPLETELY missed the vein in the bend of my elbow. That vein is a HUGE pipe, it's the go-to spot for most emergency medicine providers because it's a gimme. Mine is not overly large, but it's a good solid vein. She had the tourniquet on my arm a good 3 minutes trying to FIND the vein. She even admitted that she wasn't any good at feeling veins, that she needed to see them. (Gotta say, more times than not for whatever reason - skin color, scars, tattoos, hair, etc, you CAN'T see the vein. Anyone worth their salt doing IV's or blood draws needs to learn to feel them.)

THEN she managed to get the blood draw on the second stick in my forearm, but she went through the vein. I knew watching her she'd done it, but I wanted the draw over so I didn't say anything. The bruise tells the story though. And it'll still be there next week when I go in for surgery, since I bruise like fruit.

She's been a nurse for a long while, so it's not a newbie error. She just hasn't had the opportunity (or taken the time) to get trained in good technique and practice. But she does this many many times a day as a pre-op intake nurse. There are videos on YouTube teaching how to have better draw/IV technique, and tips and tricks all over the internet. I even have a half dozen on my Pinterest board.

Sticks, especially with the little needles for blood draws, don't hurt me very much at all. I didn't care that she took two sticks on me, it's an eh kinda thing for me. But the whole drive back to the office, I thought about all the patients who don't have good veins that she's sticking over and over. She did say she won't stick anyone more than twice (most hospitals have a policy of two or three sticks, then find someone else), so that's good. But some people find needles traumatizing and incredibly painful.

There is even technology that illuminates the veins for more accurate sticks, but it hasn't become widespread. Heck, I can go on Amazon and by a cheap-o vein illuminator for $30... won't be as good as some of the ones made for hospitals, but if I were as bad at it as she is, I'd do anything to get an edge.

I don't know what the purpose of this rant is... people who want to get better at blood draw/IV sticks generally can. She apparently doesn't. Which saddens me as a nurse and as a patient.

@@Djmohr Seems to be different in Germany. I never even had a patient who asked for a local injection before an IV stick.

@@summerset

Not something I have ever asked for. It is just something they do when having to place a larger needle prior to surgery. I am guessing it is their standard operating procedures. I would also say I have had 10 major surgeries since 2001 most in 7 different hospitals and all but 1 of those hospitals use the lidocaine before an IV placed for surgery.

I prefer not to have it done because it just makes me get stuck more times to get the needle in.

Not a good experience for me.....

@@summerset

Not something I have ever asked for. It is just something they do when having to place a larger needle prior to surgery.

Don't get me wrong. I just wanted to point out that it's that uncommon in Germany that patients are not even asking for it if it's not offered.

I'm a hard stick if I haven't had enough to drink. When I go in for a normal blood draw I make sure to drink extra a couple hours beforehand. I'm still very heavy, so my veins can be a bit hard to find. I tell the tech that my veins are good, but they may need to be patient.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Here's today's pic. Looks worse than it is.

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And I was playing with dermablend, this is the lightest shade they make. My skin is too light for foundation, it's always been a problem for me.

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I always say (I'm old so I can say such things ), "you get two sticks. After that I will draw my own blood for you."

And I have.

My suggestion? Have any blood draws drawn by anesthia personnel. They truly are wizards when it comes to drawing blood and/or starting IVs.

I always say (I'm old so I can say such things ), "you get two sticks. After that I will draw my own blood for you."

And I have.

My suggestion? Have any blood draws drawn by anesthia personnel. They truly are wizards when it comes to drawing blood and/or starting IVs.

I'm not sure I could draw my own blood unless it was life threatening and there was no one else. For starter's it's completely backwards.

I let people practice on me, needles don't bother me in the slightest. Well, for some reason I'll flinch if I watch it go through the skin, but other than that I'm super fine. The bruise looks horrible, but I just bruise super easy. It doesn't hurt, so long as it's not in the hand. I don't let people stick my hands anymore, period, end of file.

So I'm really not upset with her on my behalf. I'm upset because there are so many nurses out there, even those who have to draw blood or start IVs on a daily basis, who just say "I'm not good at this" and throw up their hands. For me who is an easy stick and has no issues with needles, no biggie. For one of my besties who has to be medicated for her annual blood draw AND is a hellishly hard stick? It's a problem. Or anyone else who's a hard stick and/or has varying levels of problems with needles.

It's a skill and it can be learned, and it can be AND SHOULD BE improved upon. A nurse who has to draw labs some dozen times a day who says "I can't feel veins" needs some remedial work. But no one pressures them to do it, so if they don't seek it out themselves, they just don't get better.

I was pretty darned good. And I still watched people who were better and asked them questions about how they did things to try and get better. Some people will naturally be better than others due to an innate talent or an obsession with it, but there should be a base level of competency in anyone who does this regularly.

Just my un-caffeinated opinion.

I've drawn my own labs many times. Doing it the first time was a learning experience, but it was still a better option than letting someone stick me a 3rd or 4th time when she/he is already flustered.

Years ago, I taught dog obedience classes at our local BOCES every Wednesday. That just happened to be the same day as the nursing students needed to practice and pass their blood draw skills. I had no problem volunteering. I came home looking like I had just waded through a school of piranhas! I still believe that if one is going to draw blood, one needs to practice on a real person----not a life size doll that has artificial veins that don't jump, flinch, cry or pull back.

I actually learned a great deal of technique from an educational video. --And I had to review every six months.

With your attitude, common sense (not to be assumed these days), and determination , you will be a fabulous success . You sound to me, like the bulletin board of what is needed to be 100% successful.

You got this. I look forward to following your joyful journey.

@@theantichick

LOL. Today I had to go have blood drawn to check my TSH as well as CBC and some other goofy draw my dermotologist wanted because I am on biologics.

I swear, I tried not saying anything to anyone about me being a tough stick.

The only thing I did tell them was they could not use my arms because I just had Brachioplasty and am quite swollen and sore. I would not have tolerated the band around my upper arm. So they decided to go into my hands.

What a circus......I came out of there after nearly 40 minutes, 2 nurses and another "pro phlebotomist" I think?

My husband almost had a heart attack. It took 4 sticks and they had to use a syringe to collect the sample in the end.

I had 4 places on my hands where they had cotton and tape (which i am allergic to but honestly did not have the heart to make their time even worse). Needles do not bother me, I am used to it however when they dig to try to get the vein that moved away from them, that friggin hurts after a while. Jeez!

This was a lab......where they regularly draw blood. My husband is bound and determined to find a vein illuminator so I don't have to get stuck so much. When I told him they finally got the "Pro" guy in there, he told me I should have just asked for them to begin with.

I know I am going to be seriously bruised with the exception of the last poke that pro guy got on his first try. Had he not been able to, they were going to try my forearm.

I was actually ready to say stop.....I will come back when my upper arms are more healed.