Traumatized by Needles!?

  Why are so many people traumatized by needles? 

Well first off, this is a natural response. Our bodies are always trying to protect us. And they know that something sharp is NOT supposed to be puncturing our skin. Therefore, for some it may just be a natural physiological response that individuals have towards needles. For others, it may be a traumatic experience they have had in the past. This traumatic experience can look like, being poked 10x to try to get blood or start an IV, someone using poor technique around phlebotomy or IV skills, someone having poor bedside manner when performing these skills, etc. After these traumatic experiences occur, these individuals now have a “visceral” response to needles, where their body is almost behaving separately from their mind. As soon as they are around or near needles, their body is going to go into a fight or flight response in order to protect them. Their heart rates will increase, their blood vessels will begin to narrow, and this leads to a whole plethora of difficulties when trying to either obtain blood or place an IV. 

  This is why phlebotomy and IV placement skills are so important! Because once someone is traumatized, now it will be difficult for ANYONE to perform this procedure on these individuals. It takes time to retrain the body and that individual has to have countless positive experiences with blood draws or IV placement after that in order for their bodies to not default to the fight or flight response. 

Therefore, if we can improve the education and training around these skills, we can improve the competency and efficiency of these skills for our healthcare professionals - making their jobs a bit easier and more enjoyable, and most importantly - improve our patient’s experience AND their outcomes. 

Visit our website at liveandwellness.com for more information on our education and training resources!