Newly accepted Nursing Student with Fear of Needle Sticks

[Bpark8]

Hi everyone!

I will be beginning nursing school (BSN program) in the fall and I am so excited! I am lucky to know quite a bit about nursing as my mother and aunts are all RN's themselves. Although I know nursing is the only career option for me and I feel very passionately about it, I have a large fear of needle sticks. Unfortunately, my high level of anxiety results from an aforementioned aunt having contacted Hep C from a dirty needle stick over a decade ago in the hospital. As you might imagine, it was quite traumatic for my family. I am hoping with more exposure and practice my fears will lessen, but at times my nerves make me uncertain of my ability to preform in the future. Any advice?

Thanks!

[Mandy0728]

First off, congrats on your acceptance! I just applied for spring so I'll find out in October :) my advice to you would be to practice as much as possible! If practicing on humans freaks you out, use fruit, hot dogs...anything! You'll be fine, I'm nervous about everything with nursing school but we will both get through it! Good luck!!

[priorities2]

If your fear persists, short-term psychotherapy exists to help reduce specific anxieties like that one. You could look into it. Good luck!

[Glycerine82, LPN]

Maybe looking up the statistics will help you.... its how I got over my fear of flying... Even if you are stuck with a known positive there is only a 30% chance of being infected with Hepatitis C....and first the patient has to have it...for HIV its like.03%

Might help good luck!!!

Sent from my tablet please forgive errors :)

[ambitiousBSN]

Congrats on your acceptance! :-)

I know how you feel about needle sticks. I've worked in the field for 6+ years prior to beginning nursing school this fall, and I still get freaked out over the possibility of being accidentally stuck. The good thing is that needles are designed in a specific way to lessen the chance of being stuck- there are retracting needles (which with a click, the needle retracts back into the syringe) as well as locking tops that you flip down over the needle which encloses the needle so there's no way of being stuck. Like someone else said, it all comes with practice! :-) When I first learned how to draw blood and give injections, we practiced on fake arms and other surfaces before being checked off to practice on a human. By the time I made it to a human, I was confident.

Try to remain calm though. :-) Best of luck!

[IThinkICan100]

Needles are one of those things that you used to as time goes along. When I first started working in a hospital (not as a nurse) I hated bodily fluids, but I just got used to it because I had to work with it 24/7.

[IThinkICan100]

I also understand your fear of Hep C. I had to be tested for hep c and hiv after my surgeon was busted for unsafe medical practices. Also, In the 70s my grandmother was given a blood transfusion that had hep c. Medicine didn't find it in her until the 90s because medicine at that time knew little about Hep. It wasn't until retty recently that we understand hep and have practices in place to prevent the spread.

I wouldn't fret about that too much. Nurses are exposed to a lot of nasty diseases. With new medical practices and new safety precautions, you are much more protected than ever.

Also, hep C is now treatable, so don't worry about that!

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Fear is good- it makes you cautious.

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

The likelihood of a needlestick has decreased dramatically since the use of retractable and flip up needle covers. Needlesticks are still possible if you are careless or in a rush and do not follow proper technique. Fear is your friend. The more fearful of getting stuck will make you extra cautious to follow proper technique to cover the needle tip.