Drawing Blood.

My annual review is coming up and one thing that I really dread is the drawing blood section of the review. I am required to draw one person using correct technique to fulfil my competency report for the year. The funny thing is that when you only do one stick a year, you are not really competent, now are you?

Some Clinical Laboratory Scientists draw blood routinely but at my hospital we have a whole staff of phlebotemists who draw all of our bloods. The time in which I end up having to draw the blood is in legal situations. Only lab technologists and nurses can draw for legal blood draws.

So today, I get an email that my annual blood draw is due. We also had a call out on night shift so it was my turn to stay late to fill in. At the end of my shift, the overhead page calls for a trauma situation in the Emergency Room. We perform testing on this person and they call for a legal blood draw.

I am the only one left to go. Gulp! Unfortunately, I have no one to take with me to help me find a vein. I went by myself and they let me in. I have a sneaky suspicion that the nurse called me because she wants to avoid getting subpoenaed to court for this case. This poor lady is crying and crying and she is in a lot of pain. These are the times that I am glad that I work in the lab because I take these individuals with me home and dwell on them and their stories. Most of the time you are seeing them because they are having a very rough day.

I was brave. I set up my stuff and looked for a vein. Crap! IV's in both arms! They of course, already have the easy veins tied up. Can't find a vein, can't find a vein, the nurses are all sitting around looking at me, the police officer is waiting for me, can't find a vein. Finally, I find one and try it, nothing. The nurse comes in and says, "Did you try over here?" No. But I guess I will. I tried again, nothing. I am so bummed! I wanted to get this draw but at the same time, I felt so bad for this lady. I am looking for veins and she is hanging onto my hand and crying. No one is there with her.

I can't get the draw so I head out to the nurses station. I tell them I can't get it. I feel like a dork. Oh well, I did the best I could with the very limited experience that I have and I did something that scares me. I just wish I was successful. Maybe that is successful, though. If you do your best at something you are afraid of failing at then there must be some success in that?

The other part is the human part. I touched this woman's life for a moment. She was having a bad day and I got a moment to express kindness and compassion to her. Hopefully she will be able to get her life together.

Now, I still have to get that one stick in before my review. Maybe next time.