Vent: "I should warn you, I'm a tough stick..."

Published

Seriously? If I had a dollar for every time I heard this and got it on the first stick, I'd be retired.:smokin:

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
CRAZY TALK!!!!!

I know, I know ... but what is that thing? Blessed are the peacemakers? Something like that? :D (I know, the pagan chick quoting the Bible, haha).

I went from an ED full of "tough sticks" (lots of older/sick people) to a military treatment facility (AKA Army hospital) full of active duty peeps with pipes. LOL. But every now and then we get retirees who are older with SFV (shtuff for veins, you know), and a lot (A LOT) of pediatrics. So we keep our IV skills, even with all these pretty pretty pipes that come in. And a lot of the family members come in as well ... just the other night someone said "I'm a tough stick" and I almost laughed because I thought of this whole thread. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I know, I know ... but what is that thing? Blessed are the peacemakers? Something like that? :D (I know, the pagan chick quoting the Bible, haha).

I thought it was "Blessed are the cheesemakers".

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Either I am dense, or your responses have been contradictory, mi vida loca.

You're not dense.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
... just the other night someone said "I'm a tough stick" and I almost laughed because I thought of this whole thread. :)

Well, as long as you didn't roll your eyes...:rolleyes:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

I almost typed "blessed are the pacemakers," hahahahaha! I'm sure some cardiac patients would agree...

:redbeathe

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
You're not dense.

Nice subtle insult. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Nice subtle insult. :)

You misunderstand. It wasn't an insult. It was an observation.

Another observation; "Emergency" only has one "Y". ;)

Let's not get this thread shut down by getting into a back and forth, shall we?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
You misunderstand. It wasn't an insult. It was an observation.

Another observation; "Emergency" only has one "Y". ;)

Let's not get this thread shut down by getting into a back and forth, shall we?

That would be great if we could stop the insults. Let's be honest and call it what it really is instead of doing it the Passive-Agressive way. After Lunah's post I didn't say anything else regarding the "debate" until you had to come and throw out an insult I mean "observation". ;)

As far as the typo, it happens. I made them a lot on this thread from using my iPad. My biggest complaint about the dang thing, that and random punctuation it is always doing.

I will keep the rest of my "observations" to myself.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
That would be great if we could stop the insults.

"We"??? Who is the one who threw out words like "snarky", "rudeness", "insult" and now "passive aggressive"?

I've pretty much stuck to the original topic.

Apparently you are all bent out of shape by my observation about Altra not being dense, is that right? I was simply agreeing with Altra that your posted comments did seem contradictory, because Altra was able to articulate something that I had also noticed, but had not found a way to articulate without it sounding like a personal attack (besides which, Altra is anything BUT dense!). Such an observation is not an insult unless you choose to take it as one.

Methinks someone is reading way too much into some things, and not enough into others. :twocents:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Medicine.
Yay for the shorties! :D (I assume you're short/tiny/small. LOL)

4'11 baby! AND a redhead :p

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Anesthesia.

"I'm a hard stick" is like nails on a chalkboard for me.

Starting lines is my favorite task, and I'm pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. I'm an ER nurse, I do this day in and day out. I don't use a 22g unless I HAVE TO!!! A 20g is my go-to, and of course an 18g if its necessary, aka CT PE, CTA/CTP, blood, fluid resuc., etc. And then, you have the lovely 16g for traumas and the level 1 - those are fun! And I educate my patients on the difference between a butterfly and the needle necessary for an IV when the former is requested.

I have had patients who tactfully tell me they have difficult veins and it didn't bug me at all. You can warn your nurse that others have a hard time getting IVs on you, however, you don't have to direct the show. When I tie on the tourniquet, I'm gonna see what I'm working with. I am gonna first look where I need to to get a line. If I don't see something there, I will look in the next best place. I don't stick what I can't feel or see, and while I love the AC (its usually a fail-safe), I will first try for the upper inner forearm. That's where I stick first. I don't do hands, period. Shoulders are good too, in a pinch.

On another note...

Holy Moly! Its super annoying to come here to get release from frustrations with your job (by posting or reading that you aren't alone) and have people who aren't in the trenches with you trying to put in their :twocents:. Well, here's my :twocents:...until you've been an ER nurse for longer than a week or two and understand what we deal with on a daily basis, shhhhhhhhh!

The OP was probably looking more for "Oh, yea, I feel ya" or other encounters and how that nurse dealt with it. Its not a free-for-all for just anyone's comments. Great, you're a hard stick :yeah: ...by all means, come be MY patient! :devil:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.

I'm pretty sure that when Mr Ab-bominal pain comes thrashing about writhing in 10/10 pain that I'm sticking the first thing I can get. I always like telling the ones that say they cant hold still or are weenies that I'm just going to have to stick you until I get it... They magically sit still!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion