The Steps in Vein Assessment
1. Palpating for the condition of the vein
- The vein should be soft and supple, non-tender and depress easily under the fingertip
2. Palpating for the stability of the vein in the surrounding tissue
- A vein that moves “freely” or “rolls” when palpated is difficult to be punctured by the needle
3. Palpating the vein to determine its diameter
- The vein should be large enough to accommodate the needle/catheter on the device
4. Interviewing the patient to determine their previous experience with the procedure
- If a patient is extremely apprehensive due to an unfortunate trauma experience, it’s a big challenge on the part of the technologist
