Want to know how to bring a U.S. Marine to tears? Give him a Rocephin shot. As one Marine quipped, “it brings half the men to their knees, and the other half to tears.” Doing a Google search on the term “Rocephin” (aka the peanut butter shot), you’ll find the #1 concern of military recruits is receiving this required penicillin shot during boot camp. “It feels like acid going in” is a common description. If toughened military men have these concerns, it’s no surprise nearly 20% of the U.S. population reports being afraid of needles, too.1 If you ask a nurse in the pediatric unit, he or she would say it’s closer to 90% of their patients; with many traumatized by a trip to the doctor if they think a needle will be used during their visit.
A …show more content…
His father, besides himself, told his son to “Buck up, and take it like a man.” Not exactly words of comfort. With the shots prepared, I began the process of calming the boy down. I explained I was the “Best Shot Giver” and my shots were practically painless, and to prove it, we were going to play a game. While he lay on his stomach, he was to sing the “ABC Song” really fast. His goal was to beat me by getting to the end of the song before I could finish giving him his shots. Together, we started the song; I let him finish on his own, when he exclaimed, “I beat you!”…but, I was already done. The young boy, astonished, turned to his father and said, “I always want her to give me shots.” My heart was warmed by his confidence in me, and nearly burst with compassion when he hugged me. Another affirmation I was meant to be a …show more content…
I began work as a MA for a family medicine practice with a stellar reputation; but as such, they’re extremely busy with a large staff to cover their caseload. The MA turnover rate is high, as most are attending school, as I was. This meant many of the MA’s were just learning to give shots, using unsuspecting patients as guinea pigs. At the close of one shift, I was working with a new MA. Her patient was an ex-Marine with more muscles than Captain America. After her fourth attempt to poke his vein to draw blood, the man’s wife became hysterical and demanded the girl find someone who “knew what they were doing.” Frustrated and near tears herself, the MA grabbed me, explaining the man’s veins were unusually thin and kept rolling. As I walked in, the wife rolled her eyes; probably, because I was young like the other MA. But, having worked in pediatrics, I had become adept at dealing with hysterical people, usually parents. I calmly assessed the man’s arm, then taking a butterfly needle, I began explaining to everyone in the room what I was doing and why I was taking blood from his hand. On my first attempt, I was able to tap a vein and get the samples needed. While I was labeling the vials, the man admitted it was typical for a medical technician to poke him multiple times. I was the first to successfully make a single poke. He was grateful for my explanation and tips on what to tell future MA’s. After the patient left, I stayed
A …show more content…
His father, besides himself, told his son to “Buck up, and take it like a man.” Not exactly words of comfort. With the shots prepared, I began the process of calming the boy down. I explained I was the “Best Shot Giver” and my shots were practically painless, and to prove it, we were going to play a game. While he lay on his stomach, he was to sing the “ABC Song” really fast. His goal was to beat me by getting to the end of the song before I could finish giving him his shots. Together, we started the song; I let him finish on his own, when he exclaimed, “I beat you!”…but, I was already done. The young boy, astonished, turned to his father and said, “I always want her to give me shots.” My heart was warmed by his confidence in me, and nearly burst with compassion when he hugged me. Another affirmation I was meant to be a …show more content…
I began work as a MA for a family medicine practice with a stellar reputation; but as such, they’re extremely busy with a large staff to cover their caseload. The MA turnover rate is high, as most are attending school, as I was. This meant many of the MA’s were just learning to give shots, using unsuspecting patients as guinea pigs. At the close of one shift, I was working with a new MA. Her patient was an ex-Marine with more muscles than Captain America. After her fourth attempt to poke his vein to draw blood, the man’s wife became hysterical and demanded the girl find someone who “knew what they were doing.” Frustrated and near tears herself, the MA grabbed me, explaining the man’s veins were unusually thin and kept rolling. As I walked in, the wife rolled her eyes; probably, because I was young like the other MA. But, having worked in pediatrics, I had become adept at dealing with hysterical people, usually parents. I calmly assessed the man’s arm, then taking a butterfly needle, I began explaining to everyone in the room what I was doing and why I was taking blood from his hand. On my first attempt, I was able to tap a vein and get the samples needed. While I was labeling the vials, the man admitted it was typical for a medical technician to poke him multiple times. I was the first to successfully make a single poke. He was grateful for my explanation and tips on what to tell future MA’s. After the patient left, I stayed