Needle phobia, also called belonephobia, aichmophobia, or trypanophobia, can come in different levels of intensity, and it’s only a matter of time until you (the nurse) come across a patient who has a strong fear of needles.
Needle phobia can happen to anyone and at any age, but in my experience, I’ve noticed that my male patients seem to struggle with this more often than my female patients.
For example, I was changing a man’s IV because it had expired. I successfully inserted it on the first stick, but suddenly, the patient fell back into his bed with his eyes closed. I didn’t know what had happened, so I looked at his heart monitor, and it looked fine. I checked his pulse, and it, too, was fine.
He then opened his eyes, and I asked, “Sir, are you okay?” He replied, “I’m sorry. I passed out due to my fear of needles. I probably should have let you know.”
On another occasion, I was working at the VA, and we would receive patients who had been in extreme war and combat situations—they were rough, gruff men who had killed people, shot guns, and so on. I was surprised to learn that many of them had to be placed onto a gurney before being stuck!
In fact, I had one man at the VA tell me point-blank: “DO NOT let me see the needle before you stick me!”
As you can imagine, the fear of needles is a real issue that some patients experience. So, as a nurse, what are some things you can do to help your patients?
Tips for Dealing with Patients with a Needle Phobia
1. Gauging Your Patient’s Needle Fear
First, you’ll want to gauge (no needle pun intended) whether your patient has a fear of needles. Some patients won’t come out and tell you, fearing that they’ll appear weak. Therefore, when you tell the patient what you’ll be doing, look closely at their body language.
Do they flinch, sigh, tense up, cringe, or verbally express apprehension? If so, your patient probably has a mild-to-severe needle phobia. In this case, you’ll know that you’ll have to be extra delicate with the patient.
On the other hand, patients who don’t have a fear of needles will often appear unbothered by the mention of the procedure, and will often say something such as, “Okay, I’m ready when you are.”
Ask the Patient if He or She Has a Preferred Needle Stick Site
Next, it can be helpful to ask the patient if they have a preferred needle stick site, when possible. Some patients will say something like this: “My right arm is always best for sticking,” whereas other patients won’t have a preference at all.
When Possible, Use the Smallest Needle Gauge Available
If a patient asks me how big the needle is going to be, I will often reassure him or her by explaining that I’m using the smallest gauge possible. This has really helped some of my patients, and if you’re not administering blood or something like that, you might be able to use a 22 or 23 gauge needle, depending on what you’re doing.
Educate Patients about Your Supplies
Read full article here: http://www.registerednursern.com/needle-phobia-nursing/
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