I am tough blood draw because my veins are very deep. The last time I needed a draw, the regular nurse that usually does it at my doctors office was on vacation, She is awesome and never leaves a mark and last time she pulled 5 vials out of me and I didn't feel a thing.
They had a temp nurse filling it at the office. This temp nurse could not find a vein in either arm. She puts the needle in, I am just about screaming as she wiggles it around looking for a vein. I am gripping the chair with my opposite hand so tight I tore the vinyl with my fingernails. Eventually I tell stop, loudly. She claims she can't find the vein and I'll have to go over to the blood center at the local hospital and have the draw done. FINE, as long as she doesn't touch me again. I couldn't head over that day so I planned to go the next. The next day I woke up bruised from wrist to elbow in both arms. I had to wait for the bruising to go down before I could get the blood drawn.
So a week later when most of the bruising had faded, I went to the hospital. It was early so I was taken right in. It had to be a fasting blood draw so I had neither eaten nor drank anything yet that day. I was a bit dehydrated. The girl starts talking to me, the usual questions. I told her that I had to come to the hospital because the nurse couldn't find the vein and that's why there was still some residual bruising, and that I was a difficult draw because my veins were deep.
She put the tournquet on and pokes at the vein with her finger, then calls the older woman over, the older woman comes over, looks and nods and continues watching while the girl proceeds. (I hadn't realized at the time that the older woman was listening to us talk.) I didn't feel much beyond the usual prick, the girl took 3 vials, finished up. I noticed the older woman was a training supervisor. I asked the girl "are you new?" She said she was in training. If I had known from the start I might have requested an experienced person do the draw. But she was fabulous, she was quick and efficient, I barely felt it and had no bruising the next day. I made sure to compliment her on her technique and I specifically told the older woman, her supervisor, how good she was.
I hope they note in her records that she got the compliment.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2014-01-30 02:06 pm (UTC)They had a temp nurse filling it at the office. This temp nurse could not find a vein in either arm. She puts the needle in, I am just about screaming as she wiggles it around looking for a vein. I am gripping the chair with my opposite hand so tight I tore the vinyl with my fingernails. Eventually I tell stop, loudly. She claims she can't find the vein and I'll have to go over to the blood center at the local hospital and have the draw done. FINE, as long as she doesn't touch me again. I couldn't head over that day so I planned to go the next. The next day I woke up bruised from wrist to elbow in both arms. I had to wait for the bruising to go down before I could get the blood drawn.
So a week later when most of the bruising had faded, I went to the hospital. It was early so I was taken right in. It had to be a fasting blood draw so I had neither eaten nor drank anything yet that day. I was a bit dehydrated. The girl starts talking to me, the usual questions. I told her that I had to come to the hospital because the nurse couldn't find the vein and that's why there was still some residual bruising, and that I was a difficult draw because my veins were deep.
She put the tournquet on and pokes at the vein with her finger, then calls the older woman over, the older woman comes over, looks and nods and continues watching while the girl proceeds. (I hadn't realized at the time that the older woman was listening to us talk.) I didn't feel much beyond the usual prick, the girl took 3 vials, finished up. I noticed the older woman was a training supervisor. I asked the girl "are you new?" She said she was in training. If I had known from the start I might have requested an experienced person do the draw. But she was fabulous, she was quick and efficient, I barely felt it and had no bruising the next day. I made sure to compliment her on her technique and I specifically told the older woman, her supervisor, how good she was.
I hope they note in her records that she got the compliment.