Life hacks for nursing - Part 1. Needlephobia

In this series of Life hacks for nurses we will be offering up tips and clever solutions to the problems we face everyday. In Part 1 we take a look at needlephobia.
As a nurse it is part of your job to give needles. Trying to give a patient with a fear of needles a venipuncture or cannulation can be difficult. A fear of needles is commonly seen in children but can continue into adulthood and eventually develop into a phobia.
HACKS TO TAKE THE STING OUT OF NEEDLES

• Distraction works wonders - tell your patient a story or ask them some questions that require them to retrieve a memory e.g., where is your favourite place to holiday? It’ll be Christmas soon, what do love most about Christmas?

• Ask your patient to select the best injection site e.g., which arm is usually easier, left or right?

• Look to the patient - the answer here is to involve the patient in the procedure. Talk to your patient calmly and describe everything you are going to do before you do it.

• If your patient feels faint, allow them to lie down.

• Desenitisation or graded exposure can really help if you have time. Allow your patient to handle the cannula dressing pack and examine its contents  Let them to open a cleaning swab and swab their own skin. Let them play around with a tourniquet, gradually making the scenario become more aligned to the actual venipuncture experience.(1)

• Consider using a vibrating device to reduce pain sensitivity.

(1) Miller I. How to manage a patient with a fear of needles. The Nurse Path.