Getting my blood tested at the hospital

I am coming to the hospital for a blood test.

Sometimes people need to have blood tests. A blood test means taking a very small amount of blood so doctors can examine it using special equipment.

There are lots of different reasons why people have blood tests.

I will go to the Children’s Hospital for my blood test. My parent or carer will know where we need to go.

We might need to go to the Outpatients department, which looks like this:

It might look a different way too. I could be waiting for a short time or a longer time.

The waiting area might be busy and loud. This is because lots of young people go to the hospital for appointments.

I can use headphones or ear defenders if I want to.

I might feel worried about having a blood test. That is ok. Everyone feels worried sometimes.

If I am feeling worried it might help to talk to my parent or carer or do something I find relaxing. This might be listening to music, watching YouTube, or doing some colouring.

When it is time for my appointment, a support worker will call my name to let me know they are ready. My parent or carer will go with me into the room.

There will be a chair or bed for me to sit on while the support worker takes my blood. The room might look a bit like this.

Or like this.

The support worker will tell me what is going to happen. When the support worker is ready to take my blood, they will put a tight band around my arm. The band makes it easier for the nurse to take the blood. The band might look like this.

The support worker might ask me to rest my arm on a pillow like this.

The support worker might put a special spray or cream on my arm. The spray might be a bit cold. The spray or cream will make that patch of my arm a bit numb so that the needle does not hurt as much. I do not have to have the spray or cream if I do not want to.

The support worker will wipe my arm with a special wet wipe. This makes sure my arm is clean and does not have any germs on it.

Next the support worker will gently slide the needle into my arm. The needle might look big but only a small bit goes into my arm. When the needle goes in it might hurt but it is only in for a short time. While the needle is in my arm a very small amount of blood will be collected into little bottles like this.

It is normal to feel worried or scared about going for a blood test. Lots of people do not like having blood tests, even adults!

There are lots of things I can do to help me feel less scared while I have my blood test like:

• playing with a fiddle toy
• calming breathing
• listen to music
• talk to my parent or carer
• watch a YouTube video

It is up to me if I want to watch the support worker take my blood or look the other way. If I do not want to watch, I can ask the support worker to tell me what is happening and when the needle will be going in.

When the blood has been taken the support worker will take the needle out of my arm and take the band off. They might put some cotton wool on my arm or a plaster.

Then it is finished, and it is time to leave.

I am having a blood test at Ryegate. The needle might hurt but it will only be in my arm for a short time. There are lots of things I can do while I have my blood test to help me feel less worried. My parent or carer will help me with this.