3 things to do to calm a patient when taking blood

Consider the blood collection environment

If a workplace for blood collection is well prepared and hygienic, this can convey safety and professionalism to the patient, giving the blood collection staff the confidence to focus on the patient.

Ensure that sharps containers are used correctly to prevent patients from seeing contaminated sharps. This can reduce the patient’s fear of needles or blood and he or she can be reassured by the feeling of a clean and safe working environment.

Note that some products, such as tube holders, are intended for single-use only. If they are reused, they may become visually contaminated by blood. Visual contamination could lead to a patient feeling insecure and fearful of the possible risk of blood transmitted diseases. Products labelled for multiple use, such as multiple-use tourniquets, should be disinfected after each use.

Good preparation is key. If the required material is prepared before blood collection, this frees you up to fully focus on the patient, conveying to them that they are in a professional environment. In the pictures below you can see an example of an ideal workplace. As you can see, the arrangement of the items depends on whether you are a right or a left-handed person It can be helpful to have the sharps as well as the sharps disposal container on the same side. This reduces the risk of a needlestick injury, as you do not have to reach over the arm to dispose of the sharps after taking the procedure.

If available, it is ideal to use a phlebotomy chair. This means the patient remains in a secure position even in case of fainting or losing consciousness. The phlebotomy chair also enables the correct arm position for blood collection, with purpose made arm rests on both sides. [1]

Vein condition and vein imaging

If a patient has had bad blood collection experiences in the past, or if they are used to suffering due to poor vein conditions, this may mean that the patient already arrives in an anxious state.

Be sure to evaluate the vein conditions to enable the most suitable product selection for each patient. In a dehydrated patient, for example, blood could flow more slowly, so if a high-volume tube is used, this could mean the vein is quickly drained and then collapses. The result may then be an under-filled tube, with an incorrect ratio of blood to additive, which in turn can have an effect on the lab results.

By using a vein visualization device like VeinViewer®, you can carry out a thorough evaluation of vein conditions before sticking, checking for optimal blood flow, valves, or bifurcations. This greatly increases the chances of a first stick success and can lead to an improved patient experience.

Communication and Transparency

Every patient is different. Some patients appreciate step-by-step explanations during the blood draw, whilst others do not want to be overloaded with specific or detailed information about the collection procedure as it could contribute to increased anxiety. For this reason, it is worthwhile chatting to your patient prior to the blood draw and ask about previous experiences. You may find out crucial information, for example, if a patient is prone to fainting. Use these concerns to adapt the procedure as well as possible. It can also be helpful to ask the patient what could actually help them to get through the blood collection as they often already know what works best for them.