Any Phlebotomists Out There?

Question

I'm training to become a phlebotomist, and I have a lot of difficulty locating veins. It seems like no matter what I do, I can never find any. Are there any fellow phlebotomists out there with some tips?

Answer

I am not. But I am one of those people who have horrible veins. The only place that can be done on the first try is in my hand, and nobody listens when I tell them this. I hate needles, and I hate being poked multiple times. I have low platelets, so I have huge bruises everywhere from all the failed attempts to get a vein everywhere but my hands. So please, I beg you, listen to your patients if/when they tell you where a good vein is!

Answer

I'm a nurse and have to draw my own labs sometimes. Look at your own veins first and see where they are generally located. Veins aresquishy and bounce back, tendons don't. Sometimes you can see them but not feel, and sometimes you can feel but not see. Honestly, practice makes perfect. Good luck to you!

Answer

Feeling veins definitely will get easier with time and practice. If you are drawing blood in a hospital it's helpful to lower the bed rails and dangle their hand off the edge to get gravity to push the blood downwards and fill the veins. If the patient is sitting up I always make sure their hand is lower than their elbow for the same reason. One thing that I struggled with when I first started is not tying the tourniquet tight enough... It will be SO much easier to find a vein if your tourniquet is tight, especially on hard sticks. I always ask the patient where we have the best luck getting blood from them. When I was first learning I would carry a tourniquet in my bag and tourniquet friends and family so I could find their veins... Maybe take a tourniquet if you can. GOOD LUCK!

Answer

I found that using a glove filled with warm water place at the sight ex. Hand makes veins stand out. Also asking the patient if they have a spot that they usually get blood taking from helps! Also sometimes having the patient slightly bend arm at the elbow helps you feel the vein

Answer

I'm nationally certified. ☺️ what exactly are you having trouble with?

Any Phlebotomists Out There?

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