I just have to vent

[ComeTogether]

So, I'm taking a phlebotomy class for the credits, and we practice drawing on each other.

Today, we did butterfly's and had a competency. My "partner" proceeded to ask me to not use her arms because it hurt less in her hand. As if I wasn't nerve wracked enough, now I have to stress out over doing it in her hand.

So, I couldn't find a good vein in her hand and she let me use her right arm only. I"m thinking "Woman, you're killing me, here"

So, fine....I go to do the stick and SHE PULLS AWAY. Making this "eek" sound. TOTAL valley girl. I could have killed her. Mind you, she has to do this too, she KNOWS how nerve wracking it is!!

I just went about my business and passed it anyways, but SERIOUSLY, AHHHHH.

Just wanted to share.

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

I always let students practice on me. When I worked in research, the PRA was trying to get her phleb certification, and she needed something like 90 observed draws. I would guess that about 75 of them were me, over the course of several months. She practiced on me 4-5x/week.

Thank goodness there are people like you because if everyone was like me, no one would get any practice!

[WKShadowNP, DNP, APRN]

/offers both arms and lovely veins.

[Crew2Nursing]

As a medic student we practiced on the fake arms before we practiced on each other. My partner stuck the needed though my hand almost half way. HE panicked and left it in my hand just sticking up. One of the paramedic professors turned a bit green.I laughed and pulled it straight out... then said a few choice words.......

IV's are an experience. Some days you will hit every IV you start, and some days you cant hid the broad side of a barn. Just don't let a few IV"s that you miss mess with your head/confidence. You got this!!!! Now go stick some veins...

The best quote by my medic preceptor.....

Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.”

― Henry Ford

[SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP]

When I took my phlebotomy certification course, we did the same thing and practiced on each other in lab.

The night of our first check off, I get paired up with the youngest student in the class. She was 18 going on 12, if you get what I mean. Everything was "ewww, that's so gross" or "I'm only here to get the points for nursing school" UGH!

Any way, she sticks me, misses the vein, instructor re-directs and the vacutainer starts filling. So, little miss thing takes over and when she goes to change to the next vacutainer tube, she pulls the whole needle out of my arm. The tourniquet was still on and blood was going every where. She starts flipping out and screams "why did you pull your arm away?" Mind you, I hadn't budged a bit.

I calmly say "put some pressure on it and pop the tourniquet". She's still wringing her hands, yelling that it wasn't her fault, that I pulled away. I repeated THREE times for her to put some pressure on it and pop the tourniquet. She runs out of the room saying she can't believe I embarrassed her like that. OMG! I reached over the table, put some gauze on it and popped the tourniquet off. Good grief, she made a huge deal over nothing. The worst part was that every class, she would say "don't put me with HER! She pulls away". Our instructor could not reason with her. It was the only time I'd ever been relieved that someone failed a class. She would have been terrible with patients.

[ComeTogether, LPN]

Shadow - why thank you! I passed the class thankfully :-)

Kris- WOW. This girl also failed, and I felt the same. I got the distinct impression it was purely so she could mess with me. Either that, or she just didn't have a clue as to the importance of passing the competency. I mean, you're already so nervous to begin with and then to ask me to stick her hands, which is usually a last resort kind of thing...ahhhhhh. She was gone by the next class, lucky for me because I would have had a few things to say to her.

You guys rock, I am so glad I have somewhere to "go" to speak with like minded people.

xoxoxoxoxox

[JBudd, MSN]

So your partner was pretty useless at helping learn sticking, but pretty good at teaching you to expect the unexpected :)

Personally, I don't think hands are a "last resort", often those veins are easier to find, except on very fleshy people. Tourniquet on the wrist and let the hand dangle a bit, works great. You can also see if there are valves or twists more so than the antecub, just by stroking the vein away from the wrist. Just food for thought!

I used to volunteer for stuff..... but recent health crapolas have made me not a candidate anymore... kudos to those who are:D