Is it ok to ask for a different person to draw your blood

[valeriedl]

I am extremely hard to get blood drawn from. I try to drink a lot of water the day before, which they all tell me to do, but sometimes that doesn't make it any easier.

I had to have blood drawn today and the nurse, who I'm guessing was a student, told me that it was only his second day doing it. On his first try he searched around and did find a vein but couldn't get any blood out of it. On the second try he had a heck of a time finding a vein. I told him that the tourniquet wasn't that tight, I don't think he knew/realized it so he tightened it, not much tighter though. He found another vein but wasn't able to any blood out of it either.

He asked another nurse, who I'm guessing was a student too, if he wanted to try. First time he pricked me but no blood. Second time he stuck the needle in me he moved it all over and finally found a vein to get blood from. It took forever for him to fill the two vials up.

That's five pricks total. My arm's going to be black and blue for a few days. Those last two pricks were on my wrist and it hurts like crazy to move it now.

My question is it ok to ask for someone who's good at drawing blood before you sit in the chair and it even starts. Someone who's been doing it for a few years instead of a few days.

 

[CathyAnn31]

Oh heck yes you can! My veins are deep and roll around except for a particular one on my left arm. I’ve had a few people who think they know best and want to try a different one. Guess what? They miss. It’s happened quite a few times. Now if a technician tries to disagree, I ask for someone else. I’m squeamish when it comes to needles and sometimes I get lightheaded. Not going to put up with some arrogant person who thinks they know my body better than I do.

 

[Porkette]

HI Val,

It is fine for you to ask for someone else to draw your blood. My husband was a lab tech and he did it a lot over the yrs.
If I person isn't happy with the one that drew the blood just let your Dr. know or the lab and they will send someone different.
I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You !

Sue

 

[Bernard]

A few years back, when I had hurt my back pretty severely, I went to see a doctor to get a steroid injection in the lower back (to reduce inflammation around the sciatic nerve). This was my 2nd or 3rd time there to do this (shots were injected in different places to reduce inflammation in different areas - I was pretty messed up at that time).

The first (and second?) time I went for one of these shots, they administered anesthesia via an IV drip located in the crook of the elbow. It was easy for the nurse to find my vein there. But this time, the nurse, wanted to insert the IV line into a vein on my wrist. I sat on the paper covered bench while the nurse tried her best to tap a vein, but she was having a rough go of it. The veins were easily seen on my wrist, but seemed to move around when she stuck me with the needle. She started wiggling the needle around in my wrist and I got a bit light headed. The next thing I know, I was laying on my side on the bench and the nurse was white as a sheet. I had fainted (syncope) and luckily fallen to the side safely on the bench.

I am never letting a nurse try to stick me in the wrist ever again. That was not a pleasant experience.

 

[valeriedl]

The hospital that my neuro is in is a teaching hospital. Most of the time I see his nurse practitioner and usually a student who is with us during the office visit, I have no problem with. I don't think they've ever asked a question or answered one. They just stand in the background silent watching.
Like you CathyAnn my veins are deep, roll around and they are very small. I can only have blood drawn from my left arm too. They normally have to use a baby butterfly needle on me. I told the student that but I'm not sure if he used one or knew what it was.

We have a small convenient care center near me. They do blood work there and most of the time they get me on the first try, probably because these ones have been at it for a while. They tie the tourniquet around my arm as tight as they can get it and beat on my arm as long as they need to until a vein pops up. I think two tries is the most they've had to do and never been in my wrist.

I'm not sure if the blood work will get done faster if I get it done at the hospital but waiting a few days longer might be worth it.

 

[C0urt]

yes, some people suck at it, my favorite girl ever was a chick i met with a needle fetish, she was interesting to listen to, and it was the smoothest needle draw I have ever had.