Has there ever been a time that you had difficulty drawing blood from a patient, and if so, how did you handle that situation?

"There have been times when drawing blood was difficult. One instance I can recall was when a pediatric patient was brought in for some lab work. Although I feel comfortable performing venipunctures, one of my coworkers had more experience with children. Because the child was already crying and fretful and the mother was worried, I asked my coworker if she could perform the draw, as I knew she would be more likely to have a successful stick on the first attempt. I explained to the mother that, although I can perform venipunctures, my coworker is experienced with pediatric patients and that I wanted to have the person best suited for her child to perform the procedure. She was very thankful."

"During my internship, I was being mentored by a really great lab tech with amazing phlebotomy skills. On my second day, we had a patient, who was accompanied by police officers, come in to have his blood drawn. The patient was being very unruly. My mentor explained to the officers and the patient that safety for everyone was the main priority and that no one would attempt the venipuncture until the patient was calm enough and compliant with the procedure. Eventually, the patient agreed to have his blood drawn and I was able to obtain the specimen without difficulty. I appreciated the way my mentor took charge and showed me how to address a difficult situation. It was a great learning experience for me as a new lab tech."

"Throughout my experience, I have found that some of the most difficult lab draws are on elderly patients. Many of them have loose skin turgor and often do not consume enough liquids in a day to help keep them well hydrated. Learning how to assess for a good vein and hold a patient's loose skin taut to help observe for a vein is a valuable skill. I also encourage patients who know they need to have blood drawn to make sure they are well hydrated, unless of course, they are ordered to have fasting lab."

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