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Original poster

Midwife appointment: blood sample taken by apprentice

44 replies

hyounhee · 16/02/2021 15:02

Hi all,

I'm 9 week pregnant with my first baby. My husband and I have been trying for sometime, so we're very excited.
Today I had my first midwife appointment. The appointment went very well until the blood sample collection. There was this girl in the room who seemed to be shadowing the work of midwife, I guess she's a student or something. Somehow, she attempted to collect my blood, needled in the wrong spot, caused a huge pain. It was a horrible minute long nightmare. During the minute, the midwife was instructing her that the needle needed to be moved to the side, etc. Hearing all of those, looking away, not really understanding what's really going on, sweating on my palms, was the longest one minute I had. I was screaming from the pain, at the end midwife said that the needle didn't go into the vein but to its side. She said to try again on the same arm, and I suggested to do it on the other arm because I was still in the pain to do it on it again...

At the end I was in tears a little bit, but we just ignored it and continued the meeting. I was really upset, was hoping to hear some explanation or a little bit of an apology but nothing happened. Now I am upset at myself for not having expressed anything, and to be honest, I now feel uncomfortable to continue with the same midwife without hearing any explanation. Has anyone had similar experience? Is it normal that the apprentice take your blood sample?

OP posts:

MyGoMargot · 16/02/2021 15:04

Did the midwife explain the other person was a student? Did they ask for your consent before the procedure?

lakesi · 16/02/2021 15:06

They should definitely have explained what was happening and asked permission for a student to do it.

Streamlinerose · 16/02/2021 15:06

Students need to learn somehow.. but this should have been communicated to you to allow you a chance to decline.

I don’t see it as the end of the world, not everyone is good at taking blood. A midwife butchered me at my GD test and it’s just the case sometimes.

Original poster

hyounhee · 16/02/2021 15:10

No it was explained very clearly. And I wasn't asked if I'm okay for the girl to do it...

OP posts:

Original poster

hyounhee · 16/02/2021 15:12

Oh, and I forgot to add. At the end, the midwife herself collected the sample from my right arm. And that didn't feel a thing.

OP posts:

Original poster

hyounhee · 16/02/2021 15:13

Oops sorry, it WASN'T explained very clearly I meant.

OP posts:

MsHedgehog · 16/02/2021 15:15

That's not ok. I'm all for students needing to learn, but it shouldn't be at your discomfort. I once went in for a blood test and there was a student there. The nurse let him try, checked what he did every step of the way, and the second he made a mistake, she took over. You're not their guinea pig!

lakesi · 16/02/2021 15:15

If you don't feel happy continuing with the same midwife call and ask if you can change to someone else. I've had loads of students throughout my pregnancies, and was always happy to let them practice on me, but it was always explained and they always asked permission.

lakesi · 16/02/2021 15:17

Also to add the students I've experienced have always been great, some of the more experienced midwifes were worse 🤦‍♀️

MyGoMargot · 16/02/2021 15:18

Even a qualified professional needs to ask for consent before a procedure. So that’s not right and I’m sorry you had that experience.

Teakind · 16/02/2021 15:24

I had a student do mine at my booking in appointment too. She tried twice and couldn’t do it. I asked the other midwife to try and she did it easily.

I know they have to learn but it isn’t pleasant. I can’t remember if they asked me or not. I felt comfortable so I presume they did.

I’m sorry you had such a bad experience. You could refuse student midwives doing them going forward?

goldielockdown2 · 16/02/2021 15:27

An explanation of what?

Doublechins · 16/02/2021 15:40

Hi I am a student midwife and would usually do the bloods at a booking appointment. We are fully trained to do them beforehand.

However the student should have introduced themselves first, we would always obtain consent beforehand and if there was a situation like you describe the midwife would have taken over straight away.

I'm sorry you had such an awful experience. You should definitely call and ask to speak to the lead midwife and discuss it with them. You have every right to change midwife but often this will mean attend a clinic a bit further away from your home which may be inconvenient for you. Maybe you can ask for it to go on your notes that you would prefer not to have procedures carried out by a student? You will come across lots of students right through your pregnancy and after so if you aren't happy you need to let them know ASAP.

Okokokbear · 16/02/2021 15:48

My GP has various students from doctors to nurses and paramedics as well as admin and reception staff I believe. They're always great. I've had my vllod taken from them before several times and it's not been an issue.

It seems off the midwife didn't say anything as they always do at my practice and actually when I've had appointments elsewhere with people training. I know everyone is different but if feels a bit dramatic cthat you would be screaming in pain from what tiny needle. I also find it slightly hard to believe that you were screaming in pain and they carried on.

ChangedName4TheSakeOfIt · 16/02/2021 15:50

That's shit. I know people have to learn but nothing at the expense of the patient's wellbeing! It should have been explained and most importantly, ASKED. It had student midwives attending all my births and as long as they let me know, I had no issue with it.

A few years ago though I spent the night in hospital (gyno ward) with a threatened miscarriage. I was examined by a lovely doctor who confirmed my cervix was closed and the bleeding had already let up and I just needed to wait a few hours to be discharged. They didn't scan me to tell me if baby was okay or not. I spent the whole night terrified with not so much as a stethoscope or doppler to tell me my baby was alright.

I was stuck there until 4pm the next day, waiting from 7am to be discharged. Eventually a doctor came in with his student. They spoke the same language and didn't speak to me at all for a good 10 minutes until he looked at me and said, "Come with me please". They explained nothing but carried on chatting in their own language (which I don't have an issue with but it was clear they were discussing me, so rude AF!) while I followed behind to another room. Still having a good old matter in a language I could not understand, he then told me to remove my trousers and underwear and sit on the exam table. It turned out he wanted his student to examine me because he hadn't seen a threatened miscarriage cervix before. I wasn't okay with this at all.
I asked if it was necessary for my treatment (he admitted no) and I asked if I (baby) was going to be scanned (another no). I didn't need an internal exam as I had already been told my cervix was closed and I just wanted to find out if baby was alive and to go home, good or bad.
He actually shouted at me and told me that I needed to do it because "This is a teaching hospital too and how else is a student to learn?!" Thank fuck for the young nurse who had been trying to get me discharged all day. She had walked in with me. She saw I was distressed and stood up for me earning herself a right bollocking so she walked me out.
I will always wonder if she faced any sort of backlash for it.

Baby was okay that day by the way. I walked straight from the gyno ward to the midwifery unit in the next building and they happily scanned baby then and there.

mumwon · 16/02/2021 16:07

@ChangedName4TheSakeOfIt
skip the language issue
when I had dd1 at 42 weeks saw the consultant - he talked over me to 2 junior doctors telling them that "she" was in breech & they would do trial labour & might have to do caesarean
the junior doctor who was also doing physical examination was the one who explained it to me as his boss walked out -nb white ethnic British - I will witness that tactlessness & bad attitude is very equal ops! the worst gynaecologist I had was a female & a complete bitch (& known for it!!)

Original poster

hyounhee · 16/02/2021 16:12

Hey guys, thanks so much for your messages. It's really nice to hear other people's opinions. A lot of you pointed out that I should have been explained clearly and be given a chance to decline if I don't feel comfortable about the student midwife taking the blood sample. I would have actually declined, as I'm generally scared of the needle and have had bad experiences previously at my GP with blood collection... I know that this is not the end of the world, if I decide to go with the same midwife, I will tell her my thoughts on what happened today and I'm sure she will understand. And we'll make sure any blood collection from now on will be taken by her. In any case, thanks again for sharing your thoughts. xx

OP posts:

TooManyDinosaurs1 · 16/02/2021 17:03

I had a student attempt to take blood at my booking appointment, the midwife forgot to say “is it ok if the student tries” which was probably a bit naughty but I’d have said yes anyway, so it wasn’t a big deal. She didn’t manage to get blood out and missed he vein, even though I’m very easy to take blood from. The midwife then did it and was a little bit rough, I guess trying to demonstrate to the student how it’s done. I still never refuse to let students have a go, everyone has to learn somehow and they are always so lovely and enthusiastic.

I think your reaction is pretty dramatic to be honest, of course she should have asked you if it was ok for the student to try, but the “screaming in pain” from a blood test, I’m not entirely convinced they’d have carried on if you were actually screaming.

BlueberryPancake21 · 16/02/2021 17:15

Student midwife attempted to take my blood. They just asked "is it OK if we take a blood sample" which I said yes, not specifying who would do it. It doesn't really matter who though - some people just seem better at it and it's not like you're ever going to be the first person the student has jabbed! Student was struggling for about 30 seconds. Tried again and failed again. Midwife then tried for a third time - at that point I I just said "I don't think this is working, is there another way to do this?" and they gave me a form and sent me to the phlebotomy team at the hospital who had no issues. I had bruises on both arms for a while but nothing life-threatening and I have no issue using the same MW just because she wasn't great at taking bloods. I hate needles but have had a lot of blood tests due to clotting disorders, infertility, MC etc - if at all possible I always go to the hospital phlebotomy team as they do it all day every day and I rarely have a bad experience. Other people taking blood are really hit and miss irrespective of whether students or not!

If you were genuinely in the amount of distress you describe and they ignored that it's a problem you should raise. If they just cocked up your blood test that's pretty standard I'm afraid.

ThatIsNotMyUsername · 16/02/2021 17:19

I had a junior doctor on a&e - he decided that the back of my hand was the right place to try to draw blood (After digging in my arm with no success). ‘Are you sure that’s right?’ I asked him...

His supervisor wandered in, yoinked him out and gave him a bollocking.

DeloresWw · 16/02/2021 17:24

I said at my very first midwife appointment I would be fine with a student observing but they are not allowed to touch me. You are allowed to say that!

Squiffany · 16/02/2021 17:44

@ThatIsNotMyUsername

His supervisor wandered in, yoinked him out and gave him a bollocking.

That is the right place. All anaesthetists start there. If they bollox it up, they can go higher. If they start in the bend of your arm, they can’t go lower if they miss.

Wildlass10 · 16/02/2021 19:19

Good luck for when your in labour!

Wildlass10 · 16/02/2021 19:26

I’m actually shocked at the amount off people who did not want a student or apprentice to help take their blood, it’s really not a big deal and they have to learn somehow.
I got blood taken today and the nurse even said once she put it in that she didn’t think she got it in the right place, no blood drew, she then took it out and got it the next time. She has been a midwife for over 38 years and even said sometimes you get it in one sometimes you don’t.

HeyDW96 · 16/02/2021 22:04

@Wildlass10 same, I generally consent to students doing things as they need to learn. Sometimes they aren't great at taking blood but the experienced midwife was probably pretty crap at it once upon a time too! If OP was generally in a full blown painful nightmare then that's quite concerning but sometimes you do just have to grin and bare the poking and prodding to get the right place.

I'm not saying that anybody should consent to things they aren't comfortable with but nurses, midwives and doctors don't become good at things by watching other people do them for years and never practicing themselves. I'm a nurse and I always say to my patients if a student is going to do something rather than me and ask if it is okay. They almost always say yes!

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