IV starts...how many before asking for another nurse. (scan, hospital, cause)

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by randomparent

Phlebotomists are the greatest! Whatever you do, never let a physician anywhere near you for a blood draw.

Originally Posted by christina0001

I have never even SEEN a doctor try to draw blood. lol Probably not a good idea.

A lot of docs have worked as phlebotomists.

[AnonChick]

My veins are pretty close to the surface of my skin. I really don't have any problem with nurses or phlebotomists or anyone else sticking me with a needle. I remember having some difficulty, once, with one, and that was just a couple years ago for routine annual bloodwork. The phlebotomist was new, and nervous, and my blood didn't spew into the vial immediately. I told her to go ahead and flick the outer tube with a fingernail. She was all "oh - well no, maybe I just didn't get the vein" and she pulled it out and stuck me again. She had to repeat it one more time before I told her "just flick the damned vial with your fingernail." And she did, and the blood gushed out and filled up the vial. I have plenty of blood, it's all right there for anyone to suck out of the vein. But it's kind of shy, so you have to flick the vial to coax it out. I have no medical explanation for it, so that's the story I tell

The poor phlebotomist was SO upset that she had to keep sticking me - she also pulled the rubber tube too tight around my arm, and didn't take it off right away, and I had told her right from the get-go that I don't need the tube at ALL - I just thump the vein over the skin with my finger and it pops right out and is ready to stick. The other phlebotomists know that. They -never- have to look for a vein, and they -never- have to work to get the blood to come out. One thump, one flick, and the vial is full.

[NCRNStudent]

I'm a second year nursing student in my fourth semester. I will graduate nursing school in about seven months. In clinical practice, I stick a patient no more than two or three times before getting help from someone else. I stick twice, stop, and then really look long and hard for a vein. If I find something that looks okay, I might stick, and I might not. If I only find one promising vein, I get someone else to stick because I don't want to ruin the only possible chance at IV access. If I've stuck twice, and find another two veins that look okay, I will stick a third time, but that's it.

[old_cold]

When you are counting 'sticks' are you counting how many times a needle is inserted?
How about when the needle isn't withdrawn but it's wiggled around for (probably some seconds even though it seems like 5 minutes) trying to jab the vein?
Are you counting those jabs as 'sticks"?

[UnexpectedError]

Originally Posted by old_cold

When you are counting 'sticks' are you counting how many times a needle is inserted?
How about when the needle isn't withdrawn but it's wiggled around for (probably some seconds even though it seems like 5 minutes) trying to jab the vein?
Are you counting those jabs as 'sticks"?

No, that's unpleasantly called digging. No one likes it, but sometimes it's better than resticking, particularly if that's the only good vein you have and it's small and rolled away. Sometimes you really have to hold on to those suckers and if they're small and deep, you're going to be more successful chasing it with the needle than pulling out and giving another poke.

[Bakeneko]

Originally Posted by UnexpectedError

No, that's unpleasantly called digging. No one likes it, but sometimes it's better than resticking, particularly if that's the only good vein you have and it's small and rolled away. Sometimes you really have to hold on to those suckers and if they're small and deep, you're going to be more successful chasing it with the needle than pulling out and giving another poke.

Ugh, yes - I've had that done many, many times.

I'm a really hard stick as well. I've got one that looks great but man, it likes to roll..

My other vein - for some reason it's deeper or something than it appears - they always tell me they can "get it" and they always end up digging around for it...

If I know I'm having my blood drawn - I always try to be super hydrated. I always let them know I'm a hard stick and ask for the most skilled person on the floor. And I often opt for a butterfly off the top..

I was stuck like 8 times the last time I went to Lab Corp....after three sticks, they "offered": to let me come back another day but seriously , I spent 45 mins in their waiting room , arranged child care for my daughter, drove across town etc - plus I needed the results in a timely manner..

[randomparent]

Originally Posted by suzy_q2010

A lot of docs have worked as phlebotomists.

In that case, hand them a syringe. They're good to go.

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by randomparent

In that case, hand them a syringe. They're good to go.

[suzy_q2010]

I have good veins and have had only one time when I was hard to stick, and that did not result in anything like Hunter's experience. I was, however freezing, as the room temperature was frigid. One trick is to ask for warm towels to be applied to your arm before trying to start an IV. That increases blood flow and tends to make the veins pop up. Lowering the hand and arm toward the floor also helps, though the person doing the stick may need to kneel on the floor.

[AnesthesiaMD]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah

Some hospitals have a nurse IV team. They go do the hard sticks. A nurse who does IVs all day long is better than an anesthesiologist who does a few but mainly administers the drugs and monitors the patient. I have had both do my sticks and I prefer the nurses.

This could not be further from the truth. You dont seem to know much about what anesthesiologists REALLY do. When all other options have failed, they call us to put in the IV. Some nurses that put in IVs all day never get good at it. We know which nurses those are, so when they call us, we just go, pop the IV in and leave. Other nurses are very good at IVs, and when THEY call us, we might bring an ultrasound with us, in which case we just find the vein with the ultrasound, pop the IV in and leave. We place IV's all day long in the operating room, as well as arterial lines, and ventral veinous lines, which are much more difficult than IVs. And we have to be able to do these quickly and well under emergency situations. I have seen anesthesiologists here and there that are not good at placing them, but more so with nurses. If it were someone I loved, I would request the anesthesiologist for the IV.