Things one doesn't want to hear from the nurse about to take a blood sample*

[nineveh_uk]

Person whose job is probably clinical research nurse: "I've completed the training, but as I haven't done that many yet, my colleague will need to join us to supervise. Is that OK?"

Me, in my head: AAAAARGGGGHHH!!!

Me, out loud: That's fine.

She was fine. Definitely not in my top experience of phlebotomists, because experience really does seem to count here, but adequately competent. Fortunately I have highly cooperative veins. Still, I've evidently moved a long way since when I routinely anaesthetised the site with lidocaine first.

And now I wait a month for the results, which will tell me For Science whether I have coronavirus antibodies, to which the answer seems probably not because it has been too long. Still, fingers crossed!

*Via VirusWatch. I am very disappointed that they have clearly now had their consent form PDF proofread properly and updated it to talk about blood samples rather than the first version I received by email, which talked about bleeding people.

Comments

[nineveh_uk]

I was definitely telling myself "she has to learn on someone" quite hard!

Congratulations on being stabbed. I hope that (a) you don't have a reaction to it, and (b) it works.

[antisoppist]

I have a massive bruise on my upper arm now. I do bruise very easily and expect to from blood being taken but it hasn't ever happened from flu injections, all previously done at the GP by a nurse. It is making me wonder how pharmacists get trained in doing injections.

[nineveh_uk]

Ow! I hope it isn't too painful.

I've had flu jabs by pharmacists a couple of times and they've been very good, so perhaps you were just unlucky, but it's a bit tough!