Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Birth- One
The following story is most likely true. I am 99% sure of it. It did occur at 3 AM, however, and I had not slept for about 36 hours before going to bed that night. If it was a dream, it was a very bad one. A nurse came in at 3 AM to DRAW BLOOD. Not to check my temp, or blood pressure, but stick a needle in me. Now I hate giving blood anyway. I have a big fear of needles and have to force myself to remain calm in blood drawing situations. I think 3 AM is a pretty stupid time to draw blood, but I was being a good sport about it. Drawing blood was not this nurse's particular job, she was just trying to help out the other nursing staff. That should have been my first clue that things would not go well. I have tiny veins that are deep in my arm. She looked at my arm and immediately decided to draw from my hand instead. Let me say that I've always heard that the back of the hand is one of the more painful places to draw blood. It did hurt. But I was brave, and proud of myself when she finished. She left. I laid back down. Ten minutes later she was back apologizing. She had read the order wrong and there was another vial of blood she was supposed to take but had not so now she needed to draw blood again. I felt a wave of panic. I can get through the drawing blood process but not so quickly twice in a row. She looked me over and decided on a vein right next to the one she had just used. This time it really hurt BAD. I started asking if things were alright. She replied that she wasn't getting any blood, and continued to move the needle all around in my hand causing great pain with each motion. She finally pulled it back out after not getting blood and I was about ready to put my foot down and tell her she was not going to try again. Before I could say it, she told me herself that she was not going to try again and they could get someone else to do it in the morning. Well, if it could wait till morning, then I don't know why I even had to be bothered at 3 AM to begin with, but I WAS grateful that she was not planning another attempt. Later that morning, a lab technician (whose sole job is drawing blood) came and took blood painlessly from my arm like normal.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
When I had Caleb, the nurse wanted to put my iv in my hand so that I could move around better and hold the baby better. She couldn't get it to go in my hand, so she decided to put it in a little further up my arm. She dug around in my arm like crazy for a long time, and it even popped back out before she finally got it right. I had a HUGE bruise all up and around my arm for about 3-4 weeks after having Caleb. I even called my doctor a couple weeks after the birth just to make sure everything was ok.
If I was a nurse and knew that I was no good at sticking people, I wouldn't even try it. Why do they always insist on trying? :)
This last time in the emergency room I had the same frustration. I told the nurse that you cannot see my veins but most find them pretty easy by touch. Well, she didn't feel for them and also decided she would just go for the one she could see in my hand. I hate having them in the hand too, just like you said,it hurts!! And she had to do the right hand the one you use to eat, drink, etc?? Anyway the next morning the lab people came to get it, felt my arm and said "you have great veins", put the needle right in and got the blood like it was no big deal.
I too get really frustrated by those that just don't seem to know what they are doing!! I don't know how to get out of being their victim? Just put my foot down I guess.
You can always tell when someone is a blood-drawing specialist. They are so good at it that it doesn't hurt. And I'm with Stephanie - don't be sticking needles up in my arm if you're not good at it.
When I am at work, I always have people who have more difficult veins ask if I will draw their blood. My response is to always say they are better off with letting the nurses draw. I had to draw a lot of blood when I was in school, but in the last two (almost three) years I have drawn blood twice. Why would they want me to 'practice' when they could have someone who does it multiple times a day? I can't imagine, though, why she would want to try to do it and then not to it correctly...
Post a Comment