[Mick]

Nurses are trained to draw blood from veins.  Veins generally get larger and thus easier to cannulate as they merge and get closer to the heart.  A highly trained nurse can somehow manage to draw blood from a stone, blindfolded.  An ICU doctor like myself; we have to go after the jugular vein to get blood.

Our youngest was born at about 3 a.m., we got to Stanford Hospital at about 1 a.m.  Mrs. Mick was already having labor pains and Rookie Nurse was having a difficult time finding a vein, resorting to switching arms.  Rookie Nurse (probably drew the late assignment due to seniority) was fretting the entire time and causing undue stress to Mrs. Mick.  Just before I was about to call for help, Battleaxe Nurse walked by the entrance, sized it up at a glance, bumped Rookie Nurse aside, found a vein in seconds and had the IV set up in less than a minute.  Battleaxe nurse took Rookie Nurse aside just outside in the hall and gave her one of the most thorough and efficient dressing downs I've ever seen in my life, all in a normal speaking voice.  Not just a wonderful nurse, but a master manager.  I was quite impressed.

[Mick]

Nurses are trained to draw blood from veins.  Veins generally get larger and thus easier to cannulate as they merge and get closer to the heart.  A highly trained nurse can somehow manage to draw blood from a stone, blindfolded.  An ICU doctor like myself; we have to go after the jugular vein to get blood.

Our youngest was born at about 3 a.m., we got to Stanford Hospital at about 1 a.m.  Mrs. Mick was already having labor pains and Rookie Nurse was having a difficult time finding a vein, resorting to switching arms.  Rookie Nurse (probably drew the late assignment due to seniority) was fretting the entire time and causing undue stress to Mrs. Mick.  Just before I was about to call for help, Battleaxe Nurse walked by the entrance, sized it up at a glance, bumped Rookie Nurse aside, found a vein in seconds and had the IV set up in less than a minute.  Battleaxe nurse took Rookie Nurse aside just outside in the hall and gave her one of the most thorough and efficient dressing downs I've ever seen in my life, all in a normal speaking voice.  Not just a wonderful nurse, but a master manager.  I was quite impressed.