Hi there, I'm a student nurse coming up to the end of my first year. Im quite worried as I think I may have a phobia or some kind of anxiety towards veins. I know that it is not just needles or blood as I can give IM injections, removed cannulas and have dealt with blood... it is just the thought of anything going into the veins that I find hard to deal with and become anxious and dizzy or sick. I have now fainted twice watching a cannula being inserted and blood being taken, Is there anyway of overcoming this? The kind of ward I am on now, there is no avoiding it

Thanks

Stephanie

Its hard to say. Sometimes in order to get over a phobia like this, youhave to do it over and over again until it becomes almost second nature to you. If you do this then at some point you won't even have to think about it and you will just do it.
I have just started to go back to school for Medical Assisting. And while there are things that I may have difficult time with, I know that I just have to push myself through it and overcome it.
If you look at how many doctors in medical school pass out over the course of there education but end up getting over it and becoming doctors, I know you could do it.
Actually that's what a lot of therapist tell there patients who have phobias. Do the things that your scared of over and over again, and ounce you realize its all in your head and that there really isn't anything to worry about, you can overcome it. Good luck, you can do it.

Hi,
As the other very good answer said, talking with others about it often helps.
It's something that can be overcome, hopefully.
Have you considered getting an opinion with what to do from one of your Professional supervisors?
I do wish you the very best.

I hope that helps. It is scarey. I don't have too much of a problem with blood. But when I went to my orientation a week ago, one of my professors told us when we get to our clinical labs we would be testing stools I felt my stomach turn. But you know what its mormal to feel anxiety over something a little out of the norm, (most people don't have jobs where they deal with body fluids) and just think you and I are going into proffessions that many can't handle. Just that thought should give you encouragement to get through it.

Maybe you can talk to your professor and see if they can help you one on one with this. Most professors want to see you succeed in this especially when you have gotten this far. Im sure they would be willing to help you with this problem

You have to put it in perspective. You are bringing too much into it. Where you may see old brittle bodies that have blue worms under their skin, someone else sees a wonderful plumbing system. Are the reactions from the patients upsetting you? That is very common when someone is just starting.
I was a medical x-ray tech for 6 years before I changed to industrial x-ray. When I first encountered the sights ans sounds of the hospital I was also questioning if I could go through with it. This may sound callous but after awhile you tune those things out. You have to in order to do your job.
I was required to take x-rays in the operating room, of deceased people and people in truama. The more I did it, the better I got and eventually it didn't bother me. I would see a bloody operation and go to lunch right after. It's the same with everyone.
You are right to address this issue. I suspect there are others in your class that feel the same way. Perhaps they are just putting on a brave face. I agree with the other posters that this is something that should be dealt with now. If you don't feel comfortable by bringing it up in class I suggest you seek a private meeting with your instructor.

Stephanie_h, I have an example of somewhat of what your going through. And how repetiton actually does make it easier.

I have a very big fear,like most people, of pubic speaking. I hate it. I used to get so much anxiety over it that it would really make me physically ill. In high school I use to actually not go to school when I had an oral presentation and be quite happy taking a lesser grade just so that I didn't have to subject myself to it. In college I wanted to be a teacher(not anymore) and in one of my classes we had about twelve oral presentations. But since this was college and not high school I couldn't get away with skipping classes. I pushed myself to do it although standing up there the first four or five times I wanted to throw up and faint, by the time I reached the eighth or ninth presentation it wasn't so bad, because at that point I did it so much that it got easier, plus by that time I had gotten to know the people in my class so everyone wasn't a stranger to me.

To this day I still don't like it, that will never change, but since I had to do it over and over again in that class, it made me feel a little more at ease. Just last night in my class we had to get up and talk a little about ourselves, the same anxiety came back, but I thought I did pretty well considering it had been years since I had to get up in front of people.

I hope this helps a little, just to show you and to elaborate on my point that soing something that you really have anxiety over repetivley really does help in getting over your fear.

You've received lots of great answers, but I just wanted to add as an encouragement that years ago, my husband used to outright faint at the sight of blood, even a very small amount. In spite of that, he's now just finished his residency as a family physician. He's assisted at major surgeries and worked fulltime in the ER for over a year, with no more fainting spells! So if you're really intent on working in the medical field, I'm sure you will be able to overcome your phobia as he did. As bizygurl says, repetition (or exposure therapy) is key to recovery from a phobia. Good luck to you!