Sticking a patient twice?

[ghost]

When you get a patient and you use the IV Start Pak to start an IV in one arm.

Do you use the other arm to stick them to draw bloods (ie. vacutainer)?

[wooh, BSN, RN]

oh, i don't know. i'm pretty kind and compassionate, but even i have to admit i've met the occasional patient that i have sworn deserved a 14 or 16 gauge to the hand....the one throwing up in the sink instead of the bath basin next to his bed is one of them.....mind you, i don't know that i would ever do it just for the sake of doing it.....but it sure does feel good talking about it.....and while i'd never place an ngt or foley just to put the patient through the discomfort, i've certainly remarked that i didn't feel so bad doing xyz procedure on some patients......

yes, while i'm sure most of us wouldn't actually do it, talking about it does feel good. for me, it's not that i would try to stick twice. but there's the occasional patient that i don't feel at all guilty about having to stick a second time. i'll also admit, one frequent flyer that insisted on having his ac site iv moved because it bothered him when he bent his arm while outside to smoke (he was up on the floor at this point). i'll wholeheartedly admit that i was a little bit disappointed that i had such an easy time sticking him. why oh why are the mean people such quick and easy sticks and the cute little old grandmas or super sweet babies the tough ones that take a couple tries?

[N-2bate]

Try sticking someone when they have been NPO for > 12 hours, then you might HAVE to stick them twice to get a line. Usually I make sure we don't need any more labs before I hook them to a saline lock.

[JessicRN]

I just left a hospital that had the IV and labs done separately. The labs were done by a lab tech and he IV's by the RN. Why too many hemolysed samples.Felt bad for the patient. My new hospital we do the lab and IV ourselves. As a result we do a two for one usually yes we do get hemolysed samples but we just redraw.

[LoriLeahRN]

As my experiences as an RN in the ER, we usually make every attempt to save a stick and draw blood while inserting the IV. Saves work for the nurse, and pain to the pt. When I stick, I go ahead and draw a "rainbow", because the ER docs here are notorious for waiting until 5 minutes after the patient has been stuck, and "Oh, by the way, when you stick the patient, add a ---- top so we can check a level." I try to draw enough for the pt's c/c (CE for chest pain), or for med levels if the patient is on Dilantin, ect.

Of course, our hospital is one of the big ones that have cut back and lab does not stick for venipunctures, and resp therapy does not admin. nebs. so it saves the nsg staff to consolidate nsg duties.

Anne

I do that too, then the only time they need stuck again is if Doc decides he wants blood cultures or later on for a second set of enzymes.....but if they have a fever when they come in, I go on and draw the bc's with the rest of the rainbow anyway.