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Originally Posted by pshrynk
Like giving them a good slap right before you stick the needle in? I loved that one. Oddly, they asked me to go into a specialty that did not involve drawing blood...
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Nah .... no slapping involved.
But it really (really) helps if you tie the tourniquet only as tight as needs be to bring the vein up. In addition ... I never thread the vein ... I've known a lot of people who do, and it's not only not necessary, but it can produce additional hematomas.
I was always just a light tourniquet, a quick pop in, and then out. I was also very good at finding goog spots on difficult patients. Although, there was this one heroin addict ... he was damn near impossible, but then he showed me a spot he had been "saving for his birthday."
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Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel
ah, diversionary tactics. that reminds me of when i was little : "papa, i hurt my finger !" "oh, well, that's just terrible ; here, i'll cut off your hand, then you won't feel it anymore."
it's probably for the best my father was not involved in any specialties that involve drawing blood either.
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Well, I always hated needles. I think that's why I wanted to be really good at using them. When I was working in the Sierras years ago, I taught phlebotomy to the new employees. And, I got to be the "crash test dummy." I've got really good veins, and it's much easier learning how to do it when the person you are doing it to is talking you through it. (And assuring you that ... no matter how bad you screw it up ... you are not going to kill them). My time as the stick dummy sort of got me over the fear thingie.