Any Suggestions On How To Be More Diplomatic

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[color=#002060]i am a hard stick, too many iv's and too many steroids over the years. my veins are shot. when the nurse comes in to start an iv they search and poke to no avail. it is at this point i ask if i can make a suggestion. the younger nurses look at me as if i have grown three heads and then ignore me, not all the young nurses, but a good many do. they poke two (2) times, then call another nurse. the next one in does the same. if i get five (5) young nurses in a row i get pokes ten (10) times and they have spent an hour or better and no iv. it is at this point i request nicely for an older nurse sometimes they will call one sometimes we go through three (3) or four (4) more rounds of poking. then i put my foot down and tell them no more get me someone older. why an older nurse, i find they are more willing to listen to me. i get an older nurse tell her my tale, tell her where she will find virgin veins and wala they get the job done. i am not trying to be rude, i am simply tired of being poke and the nurses are frustrated because they can't get the iv in. is there a better way of conveying my information so we don't have to do this dance every time i go to the hospital or every three days when they must change the iv or change the iv because it has fallen out.

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[color=#002060]i know in the scope of things this is not a big deal, but it sure does make for a more pleasant stay for all concerned. thank you for any suggestions as to how i can be more diplomatic in explaining things.

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Specializes in NICU.

I think it's less a matter of being diplomatic and more a matter of you being more firm from the get-go. I'm all about getting experience for younger nurses -- I'm still one myself, for that matter -- but not at the expense of prolonged pain and aggravation for the patient. It's your body, and you have extenuating circumstances that you should be explaining (briefly) up front as part of your request for an adept IV starter.

P.S. The word is "voilà," not "wala." Pet peeve.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
P.S. The word is "voilà," not "wala." Pet peeve.

Unless you're talking about a four-stringed instrument related to a violin. Then, it's "viola!"

I can only echo Coffee Nurse's suggestion. Let them know from the get-go. You're in the Hospital to receive therapeutic treatment, not to make friends or be pin cushion. You have a certain amount of control over the way your treatment is carried out.

Dave

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Specializes in tele, oncology.

Just be up front like you were in your post. "I'm so tired of being stuck over and over every time, I know I'm a hard stick, could you please get your best IV starter in here off the bat?"

There's plenty of times where I walk into work and find out there's a hard stick that needs to be taken care of that's already been stuck by four or five different nurses. It ticks me off. If they're that hard to get, either get an order to drop a line in or if you know someone coming in on the next shift has a better chance, quit screwing up what veins they do have and subjecting the pt to needless sticks and wait.

The only thing I'd suggest you say differently is to ask for the "best IV starter" as opposed to "an older nurse". Because if you did that on my floor, depending on which shift it was, you would end up with someone who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.

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Sorry you got stuck so many times.

I don't understand , but what does this have to do with older or younger nurses(your words)?For all you know the older nurse might be a new grad(change in career or something).

I percieve there to be a bias already against younger nurses, as though indulging them."Oh let the wee poor ones try the getting a stick and then get me an older nurse" Clucking:)

I'm also sorry but I do find it a tad exaggerated that the younger nurse would look at you as though you had three heads, just because you had a suggestion to make. It's your body and 90.9% of the time, if you've been in hospitals a lot, then you know your own body and veins.

In future, you might want to put your foot down after the third poke, and make your suggestions to the younger nurses, just as you did to the older nurses.

It sure would have been hilarious if the younger nurses had sent in to you an older nurse who incidentally, was also....a new grad!

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Originally Posted by Coffee Nurse viewpost.gif

P.S. The word is "voilà," not "wala." Pet peeve.

Unless you're talking about a four-stringed instrument related to a violin. Then, it's "viola!"

Dave

Dave, sorry but you're wrong. If you're going to call out someone, who called out someone, you might want to make darn sure,you got the term correct.

CoffeeNurse is correct in using "Voila" as a french expression to signify approval. YOUR "Viola" is a bow stringed instrument ,part of the violin family.

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Specializes in NICU.
Dave, sorry but you're wrong. If you're going to call out someone, who called out someone, you might want to make darn sure,you got the term correct.

CoffeeNurse is correct in using "Voila" as a french expression to signify approval. YOUR "Viola" is a bow stringed instrument ,part of the violin family.

Not that this is on-topic at all -- but re-read what DaveDo actually posted; he was making a joke, not contradicting me. "Voilà," incidentally, does not signify approval, it simply means "look there!"

To bring this back to some semblance of relevance: Katie5, I think you're reading too much into the "older" vs. "younger" nurses of the OP's post. I don't know what, if any, experience s/he has from the HCP's point of view, but it seems reasonable to interpret that as an generalization, albeit inaccurate, of more vs. less experience. I'm sure the OP doesn't want to be stuck repeatedly by new grads in their 50s any more than by those in their 20s.

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not that this is on-topic at all -- but re-read what davedo actually posted; he was making a joke, not contradicting me. "voilà," incidentally, does not signify approval, it simply means "look there!"

to bring this back to some semblance of relevance: katie5, i think you're reading too much into the "older" vs. "younger" nurses of the op's post. i don't know what, if any, experience s/he has from the hcp's point of view, but it seems reasonable to interpret that as an generalization, albeit inaccurate, of more vs. less experience. i'm sure the op doesn't want to be stuck repeatedly by new grads in their 50s any more than by those in their 20s.

glad to know that. i had a laugh :)

ps- see below

definition of voilà

—used to call attention, to express satisfaction or approval, or to suggest an appearance as if by magic

defined for english-language learners [color=#2965c7]»

variants of voilà

over that:)
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To bring this back to some semblance of relevance: Katie5, I think you're reading too much into the "older" vs. "younger" nurses of the OP's post. I don't know what, if any, experience s/he has from the HCP's point of view, but it seems reasonable to interpret that as an generalization, albeit inaccurate, of more vs. less experience. I'm sure the OP doesn't want to be stuck repeatedly by new grads in their 50s any more than by those in their 20s.

I don't believe that I am reading too much into her post- I take it at face-value like the post read.

When you specifically request an "older nurse", you're alienating the "younger nurses", in whose care she's in. Asking for an experienced nurse who's versed in making sticks would have been more appropriate. It's not just nurses who have to be diplomatic, patients do too.

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Specializes in ICU, ED, Trauma, Transplant.

If you're going back to the same hospital again and again, I think it'd be worth it to try to remember the names of the nurses who have been successful starting IV's on you before and say, "When I was here last, so-and-so was the only one who could start an IV on me. Are they working now?" Then go on down the list until there's someone available whom you already trust. If no one's there or you can't think of any, I'd say, "I'm a tough start and I think you might be able to get it right here. If you don't want to try to get it in there, then please find someone else who will." Like Davey Do said, you're not there to make friends, you're there to get better so you get out and back to your life.

Sounds like a lot of these nurses aren't listening to your requests, which I find disconcerting. It's reasonable of you to request that you speak to the nurse manager about this if you feel like they're being especially dismissive to your requests. Many, many times, I have followed the suggestions of patients as to where they would prefer I start an IV, and I've been successful almost every single time. That patient doesn't want to be poked endlessly, so I have to believe that what they're suggesting is legitimate. Plus, it's their body and if they require lots of medical care, it's expected that they would know what's best and where the best place to try is.

I can't think of how many times my new grad buddies (in their 40's to 50's) have asked me to start an IV on their patient after they unsuccessfully tried, only to have that patient initially refuse just because I'm 26 and look it. After talking with them more, it's usually because they falsely assume I'm less experienced than my older colleague. So, I'd definitely suggest that you don't request an "older nurse" as well, but rather a "good IV starter". :)

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

If you asked for an "older nurse" and someone came to get me, I might not be too happy ;)

I second the motion to ask for a good IV starter and absolutely agree that you need to be firm and up front before anyone ever attempts a stick.

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I am the older nurse (51). I have the IV experience and have worked as a CCU nurse and ER nurse for years. That does not mean that I or anyone else hits them 100% of the time. Being older or younger has nothing to do with it. It is an experience thing not a age thing.

If any patient is getting that many IV sticks on a regular basis and is that hard of a stick perhaps it would be a good idea to talk to the Dr about a Porta Cath. If someone is that hard of a stick and gets IV's on a regular basis you can bet the nurses know the patient too.

I wished I had a dollar for every patient I had that told me I was a hard stick, my viens roll, or I'm scared of needles. :hdvwl:I would be writing this post from the Bahamas this morning. I am professional and always nice with my patients but at the same time we still have to have the IV and bloodwork. :eek:

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