Patients afraid of needles...

[Brian]

Every often we get a patient that has a fear of needles. What do you do? What's your secret in calming these patients?

Please share your most memorable experience with the community.

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[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

I assure them that I won't feel a thing. LOL! Seriously, that little bit of humor goes a long way......

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

In my experience the biggest weenies about getting IVs are the IV drug users.[/quote']

That may just happen to be because they've scarred up all the normal sites and whatever's left over just hurts... or they've scarred up everything, leaving us to try to get a line through all that scar tissue.

[lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN]

I once started an IV on a gentleman with sleeves, metal in various parts of his face, and a Prince Albert piercing. Cried giant crocodile tears. I was baffled.

[carolinapooh, BSN, RN]

I routinely let students and newbies practice IV starts on me.

I do it because I have decent veins and I tolerate it well and can be patient and encouraging, even when they're having trouble finding the vein or threading the cath.

Each time I do it, though, I'm reminded that IT HURTS. It's so easy to get into the routine that we sometimes forget that it's a generally unpleasant experience.

On the other hand, I'm also reminded that just because it hurts doesn't mean that one needs to cry out, swear, or - gulp - jerk their arm.

I let students practice on me because I have crappy veins. They're hard to find and are great practice points!!

[cav5]

I use the IPOD/music system for children, teens, and adults. It is amazing to me that once they start listening to music or are "plugged in" how much can be accomplished without them even realizing it.

On a humerous note-I am the biggest baby known to man. I HATE lidocaine because it burns A LOT. I once had a cyst removed from my lower back and refused the lidocaine as he wasn't going very deep. After it was over he said I really needed a stitch and wished he had talked me into the lidocaine because it was a little too late now. I told him a little scar is not going to be a big deal (am older and overweight-seriously going to worry about a tiny scar on my back!

Did I mention that I hate lidocaine shots! And pain! I would take the tiny seconds of cutting to the shot any day. People (including myself) are a mixed bag of....interesting:)

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

It is such a subjective personal thing how people react. I don't get it because to me it is no big deal, but I understand that to others it may be a very different experience.

Funny cartoon!

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

I think this goes back to the toddler/early child perception of inside the body/outside the body. Tats are skin level, and the psyche might not see them as invasive, but IMs go IN. Heredity and upbringing might help, too. Make a big hairy deal about every boo-boo and the kid learns to see them as fearful events. I never made a big deal out of anything with my kids.

I have tats on otherwise tender places, but they never hurt enough to say ouch when I was getting them. I'm never thrilled about getting IMs but I just suck it up and deal. I rarely take anything for big dental work, even root canals or extractions.

Interestingly, one of my children has an amazing pain tolerance-- never cried at immunizations as a baby, would sit in my lap at 15 months or 5 and watch the needle go into the deltoid and then...nothing, we're done, can we go to the library, Mom? As an adult he's had some very painful-looking injuries (foot crush, plus he has a tendency to ingrown great toenails, owwww, yuck) and he doesn't seem to mind. And now his little girl, 2, falls face-first into gravel or on pavement and gets up and keeps going without a squeak.

The tapping thing is good, too. I also used to do a small pinch at the site before injection, same thing.

[Overland1, RN]

It usually happens with my tall big muscle pts. they ask for a butterfly or 1,inch 25 gauge

...like a butterfly for lab draws is really any smaller than a regular lab draw needle. Must be the "wings" make it less painful.

[Mshealthness]

Very funny cartoon.. It was always funny to see that some childrens seem to be braver than adults about any type of needles.. I am sometimes guilty though.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

I'm not going to decide whether other people should or should not be afraid of needles--I've gotten to the point where is people say "Oh, I hate needles!" I say in my head "yeah, pretty much everyone does." However, there was one that was particularly odd: 19 year old male with RLQ abd pain, R/O appy. I go in to start his IV. He tell me "dude, no way....I mean, needles they are my biggest fear." In my mind: "biggest? Seriously? You fear nothing in life more than needles?" (yes, I'm sure he knew was exaggerating, but still there is nothing else in life of which you are more fearful?). Anyway, went to his chart a little later...he had 3 admissions in the past 2 years for GSWs (each from different incidents). Apparently he is much less concerned with a bullet than a 20 gauge IV.

[amygarside]

i have a friend who's so afraid of needles and blood. he faced his fear when he got a tattoo.. though he's still scared of needles til this day

[SunnyPupRN]

Most of the time, the patients I've had to stick were more worried about the actual stick than the pain/irritation/soreness from the medication.

Incidentally, I prefer some really sharp needles and I also sometimes tap, tap, tap, tap, stick... right next to where I tapped. I do that tapping fairly fast and deep to overwhelm the deep pressure receptors to close the pain gate. If I had a TENS unit handy, I'd use that instead of tapping.

​Thank you! I've been saying this forever!