I took the elevator up to the 3rd floor of the clinic to get my blood drawn at the lab. My NP gives me the option of using the hospital lab on the ground floor, but there's usually a longer wait, and besides, they charged me $178 one time because of using a wrong code, rather than having the insurance pay as usual.
Anyhoo... the waiting area is an upside-down L shape. All the seats across from the check-in window were taken. So was one down on the end of the L. Since there were 3 chairs there, I pulled one over by itself a bit, and sat in it. Down a little back corridor at the end of the L were several more chairs. They were past the door that leads to the bathroom where they give pee tests.
A teenage girl, mom, and 2-year-old boy were sitting in three chairs together there. I figured they were keeping that active little boy away from people. You know how kids can be when they get bored. The lady by me got up and left with another gal who came out of the blood-draw door. So I had those three seats to myself. Then the phlebotomist came out and called a name. It was the teenage girl in the alcove. She left her coat with her mom, and went with the phlebotomist.
Sweet Gummi Mary! There must have been nine of us waiting for assorted testing. Yet the staff seemed to be at a standstill. Knowing I was waiting for the phlebotomist made me interested in what was taking that Teen so long. She was in there 15 minutes! Everybody knows a blood draw only takes three minutes or less! Mine do, anyway! Go in, verify your name and birthdate, stretch out your arm, get the rubber tubing tied off, POKE, suck it out, and you're done! Easy peasy.
The phlebotomist came out and wandered down to the end of the L, looking for Mom. Who was on the phone, making some kind of arrangements for the 2-year-old who was not as verbal as a 2-year-old should be.
"I'm gonna have to call you back. What's wrong. Is she being uncooperative?"
Phlebotomist nodded her head. So she and Mom and 2bee went through the blood-draw door. That place is small! Two chairs and a side table. That's it! It must have been like riding in a clown car with all of them inside. I heard a bit of talk. Not really understandable. Then about five minutes later, Teen, Mom, and 2bee all came back out, and went to their secluded chairs. Where they sat. No putting coats on to leave.
Teen: "I just wasn't feeling it. Then she said I had to let her take my blood, and I started to freak out."
Seriously? How long are the medical professionals going to humor these kids? If Teen wasn't mature enough to go in on her own, Mom should have accompanied her from the beginning. Not let her go in alone, get all hard-headed and think she can get her way. That makes it even harder. I don't know if they were going to try again later or what. Kids these days. I can understand if she had a fear of needles. She needed someone there to hold her hand. Or a tranquilizer. But she can't just take up everybody's time like that!
I'm no phlebotomist, but I think I would have given it one try, then told the Mom that if she couldn't persuade Teen to let her blood be drawn, she would have to leave. You can't keep coddling and coercing at the expense of everyone in the waiting area. If a patient refuses, they refuse. No negotiating.
2 comments:
I find myself agreeing with you. If the teen is afraid of needles, call the mum in right away. Perhaps at first the teen thought she could do this on her own, psyching herself up like the little engine that could "I can do it, I can do it". On the other hand perhaps she freaks at the sight or thought of blood and needles together.
River,
The phlebotomist is not responsible for people "freaking out." That's how I see it. They have a job to do, and can only be as gentle as possible with their chairside manner. If the patient won't cooperate, I think two attempts is enough. Like, "We need to do this now, and if you're not ready, maybe you should come back another time."
It's different in a hospital setting where time is of the essence. They might need assistance in restraining a patient to get the job done. But in a regular lab setting where people come in of their own accord, the phlebotomist can't force a patient to allow the blood draw, and can't baby them for try after try. It's not like she kept jabbing without success. The TEEN wouldn't allow her to try.
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