Phlebotomist are trained in the appropriate techniques to take blood samples from patients and, over time, learn to do the job accurately and safely. But here is the challenge: if phlebotomists get used to seeing blood and insert needles into their veins, many patients are not familiar with the procedure and often visit blood labs for fear.. Before the best phlebotomy technicians shake the needles and tips, they wear a therapist cap to calm the nerves of a panic patient.
If you are trained and have experience as a professional blood taking and are looking for a job as a phlebotomist, you must demonstrate competence in two areas: proper blood collection techniques and the ability to relieve the patient's anxiety. Because the latter generally requires more improvisation with the fingertips, we have listed six tips below to help patients relax in the blood test lab and encourage them to consider it as a qualified health professional. instead of Nosferatu. These suggestions don't hurt, we promise.
1. Pay close attention to the concerns of the patients. Familiarize yourself with the patient's fear, discuss their origins and confirm their feelings. Communicate with compassion in every way during the procedure, including continuous eye contact.
2. Work for each patient at a reasonable pace. When a patient appears nervous or expressing anxiety, they reduce the speed of the procedure and create trust between you and the patient. Follow the instructions of the patient at the time of recovery.
3. Give the patient reasons to feel safe. Share the details you can know about the amount of your Phlebotomist experience and knowledge, including the amount of blood draws or the number of years in your profession. Perform your skills with confidence.
4. Practice transparency on the procedure from the beginning. Speak step by step so the patient knows what to expect. This helps greatly to reduce or eliminate your fear of the unknown.
5. Suggest a mental or visual view to the patient. Distractions help patients to move anxious thoughts in a different direction and calm their nerves. Ask patients to answer questions, count from 10, or describe a visible picture on the wall.
6. Accept the patient's needs in terms of comfort and stability. If a patient appears to be unstable or has become aware that he has fainted during blood collection, he is asked to lie down on a comfortable surface instead of sitting upright.
7. Use infrared vein finder device or other vein visualization technology to locate the vein easily. A difficult IV start creates anxiety in Nurses, Phlebotomist and increase nervousness in patient.
Phlebotomists may not know the details of what patients have experienced in the past in blood laboratories which may have contributed to anxiety. The best they can do is adapt to a wide range of patient emotions. While these lab technicians may not be able to free patients from their fears, they can certainly significantly reduce tensions during a blood draw. They also keep the hours comfortable during the day.
We hope these tips will help you improve your therapeutic skills. However, it also helps you remember the moments in your lab where you masterfully turned a reluctant patient into a volunteer participant during a blood test.