luna the greyhound. and chubby reba. all the beagles are named after country women singers...luna belongs to the professor. reba got the rectal thermometer and 1 unsuccessful sticks it her cephalic vein. i'm learning to be a blood collector, although i'm good at spilling my own. especially these last few days. reba got the ascultation and a cop-a-feel of her femoral artery. tpr. temp, pulse, and respiration... she also got lots of i'm sorrys and kisses on her cute little chubby head.
enter luna. i was the last student to try. i had to get it. i had to. so, i shave her front paw. swab it down with alcohol to bring the blood up. feel for the vein. 20-30 degree angle, i enter and get blood in the hub. panic and remove it when she cries. okay, go practice on the dummy set up, hit that vein a few times...back to ms. luna... right paw. shave. go in slow steady, get blood in the hub of the syringe. draw back. can i stop now?
empathy. yes i have it. but i have to learn this stuff. and an owner won't have much sympathy for me if all i have to practice on is his/her pet. laboratory animals. although i accomplished my task at venipuncture it was on the professor's dog. i love those dogs. i may seem cold, but it's just aloofness that keeps me safe to perform tasks i need to learn how to do. i'm grateful for all of those critters...from the mice to the dogs.
*got the blood
*got a free ride on the train home.
*i'm satisfied that the powers that be gave me a good ending to a less than perfect day.
:-)