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amajane
member
Afraid of needles
amajane
member
I draw blood pretty often at work and put in IVs. At least 1-2 times a day I get a needle-phobic patient. Not the ones that say "ew, I don't like needles" but the ones that tell me that they are going to freak out on me and have a massive heart attack if they even have to walk by the blood draw station.
And I just don't get it. Really. Not to sound insensitive, but it's a little needle. Sure, it hurts. A little. But in my opinion, it hurts less than losing your virginity, breaking your leg and most importantly giving birth (something all my patients are trying to do).
I've had patients who need to lie down, have their husbands hold them down, scream and?weirdest?of all have a "blood draw" ritual that consisted of tapping their right hand and having me ask permission before I inserted the needle under their skin.
So can someone please enlighten me? I've heard tons of the "I had some traumatic blood draw experiences in childhood" story. Yeah, so did I. Didn't we all cry and scream when getting shots or blood drawn as children? But I grew out of the fear as most people do.
And as I calmly draw their blood all I can think is, "do you have any idea all the blood draws and IVs you'll need when pregnant? And how are you going to handle it if and when your baby will need a shot or blood drawn?"?
WDYT?
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Re: Afraid of needles
I agree with you. Mainly because of how many effing times we have had to get Lucy's blood drawn.
I don't get it.
Are you a nurse? My husband is and talks about this a lot. He gets irritated when people go on and on and on and get all dramatic about being paralyzed with fear, usually while on a cell phone talking to someone about this paralyzing fear. I believe that there is a phobia just like any other completely irrational fear, but I also think it exists in far fewer people than those who confess to be phobic.
Basically I think a lot of people are big old whiny whiners with no self control and big aw's.
I'm really weird about the blood draws. I hate, hate, hate getting blood taken from my arm. They always have to dig. It grosses me out. The needle is in there and they're always just fishing for the vein-whah!
So, while I was pregnant I requested that it be taken from my hand. It does hurt more but there wasn't any digging necessary.
Often, the nurses would beg me to just let them *TRY* my arm before they tried my hand. Why do you think this is?
BTW, Marley just keeps getting more and more adorable. I love your siggy pic!
Lanie-you're so hard core. LOL-Your daughter is getting no flack from you or your H. She'll walk the strait and narrow at all times!
The arm is easier (bigger veins) and tend to roll less often than they do in the hand.
Plus, blood flow is slower in the hand than in the arm.
Most patients prefer the arm and I'll always try there first before I try the hand. I think the hand hurts more.
it's a mental thing for me. i've never had a bad experience. i know it doesn't hurt as bad as any of those things you described. but it's a needle, going into my vein and sucking out my blood. YUCK!
i usually just look away though.
I had to have all my bloodwork done out of the back of my hands during my 3rd tri GD stuff & iron stuff. It hurt.Yup.
So what!? SUCK IT UP!
I just hate whining. It won't get anything from me. Honestly if she tries it. Its game over. I'm not even acknowledging that she's in the room. I won't raise a whiner. I WONT I TELLS YOU!
I second "amajane." slower the blood comes out = increases risk of clotting = increase risk of having to get stuck again, also sometimes the veins in the hand blow easier = having to get stuck again.
I get blood drawn pretty darn often, and I'm lucky that they always think I'm going to be a hard stick, but I'm not. I have had a few shittty nurses decide off the bat I was going to be a hard stick, and decide I should be stuck in the hand without listening to me say otherwise.
Anyway, I don't have a phobic reaction, but I guess I sort of have a ritual? I just can't look when they do it. I sit down, wait for them to prep my arm with the alcohol and tie on the rubber band thing, and then I make a fist, close my eyes, and look away. Once the needle is in, I think it's cool to watch the blood flow....but there's something about watching a needle go into my arm that wigs me out....
I have a similar reaction to this. I really do know better.. and I definitely don't freak out or scream or anything like that! But once I feel that needle going in, the room gets smaller, everything starts going black, I get extremely hot and light headed.. every.single.time. It's not something I can control. I usually just talk to the nurse, joke around, trying to keep my mind off of it. And that helps a little, but I still get all those "symptoms" at least a little bit. LOL I actually usually warn them in advance, while joking around, and get a juice box to sip on to help w/ keep my blood sugar up, I guess..
Maybe people freaking out are more freaked about their reaction then the actual "pain" (no I don't think it's painful) of the shot?
edit: I should add that I have crappy veins and almost always end up being poked and prodded multiple times before they can find a good one. that certainly doesn't help the passing-out-feeling
BFP 5/07 - Kylie born 2/08. BPF 2/09 - Alexandra born 10/09.
TTC since 8/13 - diagnosed difficulty conceiving due to LP defect. Took vitamin B and Vitex Berry to help lengthen.
BFP 2/14 - Missed M/C found at 8.5 weeks. D&C at 9w2d. Partial Molar Pregnancy.
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In standard cases that makes sense but if you have a patient who knows what works well for them, it should be thier choice (unless it isn't compatible for the test needed). I know you guys know a lot but so do the humans who have been used as a pin cushion
Yeah, I'm talking about people who have normal veins but are just freaks about needles. The ones who get their blood drawn all the time are usually pretty tame because they're use to it.
I kind of think they're just looking for attention. But I put on my nicest face and make?pleasant?and distracting small talk.
Ah, but then I get requested to draw their blood every time they come in.
I need to stop being so nice.?
Okay that makes sense... I hate whiners! Just "miss" once and they will run away from you
By definition, there is no explanation for a phobia. ?A phobia is an unexplained and illogical fear.
I don't have a fear of needles, but I have sympathy for people who have a phobia. ?They can't control it and are obviously terrified.?
no prob. i totally understand.
I don't get it at all, but then again that is kind of the point of a phobia... it's weird and irrational and doesn't make sense to anyone else!
I have truly horrific veins. I had to get a PICC line in the hospital because my dang veins blow constantly (it took 8 different nurses, each trying multiple times, to get my first IV in at the hospital, and at least 5 tries for each subsequent one) and they couldn't risk not being able to get an IV in if I had an ER c/s. I'd rather have a billion IVs or blood draws than one PICC line inserted. That sh1t creeps me out. I had to lay on the operating table and pictures rainbows and bunnies, and I am very, very calm about medical stuff.
I remember being freaked out by the cold metal bars in the gym and never wanting to do gymnastics.
I remember almost vomiting at the prospect of eating slimy green beans or mashed potatoes.
But then again, I am not like the people in your example! I WAS terrified of having sex because that sounded horribly painful to me! I'd tense up every time I would try. It took me a long time to get over that...
With the blood test thing, i think it's not just the pain, but the weirdness of a cold metal thing sticking in me for an amount of time. One jab of a needle: ok. Something just sitting in there: revolting. Blood itself does not upset me, and shots are okay. It's something about the needle in my vein. Yuk.
I was also a VERY picky eater for a LONG time. Certain tastes and textures = gross.
I think with certain people, we may register sensations differently.
Though it is no doubt annoying to you as a nurse, just as students who can't sit still long enough to read a book are annoying to me, there are some positives about being very physically sensitive.
I have usually diagnosed myself with things before anyone else could. I have had dreams telling me exactly what is wrong with my body and where. I can describe with excellent detail what is going on physically with me, and I recuperate very quickly from illnesses due to this. I knew, for example, I was pregnant before a test could even tell me and before I was even late. My mother was the complete opposite: didn't know she had a tumor in her back for years, didn't know she was pregnant for 3 months (and continued taking bcps), didn't know she had a tumor in her throat for years...so you can see how not being physically sensitive may be less annoying to nurses in the short run, but think of all that someone like my mom could have avoided...
I used to get my blood drawn ALL the time when I was little. I have no idea why, when I ask my mom she just replies "You were sick a lot."
:-?? And I have no problem getting mine done.
I did learn a trick from a phobic pt back then, she said if she puts a piece a gum in her mouth at the same time as the poke she is totally fine. Assuming it's a one stick and done, not a hard stick.
Edit to add
DH HATES it. He says it's the thought of something foreign in his body that freaks him out.
This is me for sure. It isn't the pain at all, it's just an irrational phobia. My blood pressure drops really low, and about half the time I actually faint. I have to lay down, and if I don't I will faint for sure. When I had the first screening test at 12 weeks PG the phlebotomist didn't have a place for me to lay down and assured me I would be fine because it was "only a finger prick." Halfway through the draw everything went white and I slumped over in the chair. We had to find an exam room to use and do it all over again, ugghh.
I was completely set on having a med-free delivery for the (almost) sole reason that I didn't want to have an IV. Turned out I was GBS positive and had to have an IV anyway. Plus, childbirth hurts like the dickens, and I ended up with an epidural after all. The epi needle didn't bother me one bit, but then again, I was 11 hours into labor so I was a little distracted.