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How to overcome needle anxiety?
Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: 6 days ago | Replies (26)Comment receiving replies
@crabby55 There are small, portable, vein ultrasound machines. Handheld. They find the best vein. All hospital blood labs have them but don't want to use them for some reason. You have to tell them about your vein problem and request the ultrasound. They are cheap devices, so I don't know why some blood labs don't have them. If you are able to have a choice of labs, I would call ahead and ask if they have the machine. Ofcourse, then they have to actually utilize it!
Replies to "@crabby55 There are small, portable, vein ultrasound machines. Handheld. They find the best vein. All hospital..."
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@colely Some labs don't have them because they take specialized training in order to be qualified to use them. I am an older nurse and prefer not to use the ultrasound because it takes quite some time to find a vein which I feel heightens anxiety for both the patient and myself. I am one who can visualize in my head where a vein is and can get a stick first time 95% of the time.
I find newer nurses are losing their skills at doing sticks because of technology. Heaven forbid the day we lose technology: none of the nurses will be able to do squat.