By: Anna Giorgi
Learning the skills you need to be a medical assistant requires mastering clinical techniques such as giving vaccines and drawing blood. These skills are included in the curriculum of most medical assistant certificate or associate degree programs. However, if you’re a medical assistant student with a fear of needles, the prospect of handling and administering needles might leave you rethinking your choice of profession.
As a medical assistant student, it’s normal to be nervous about administering vaccines or other invasive procedures. While most students overcome their concerns with knowledge, practice and mentor support, some medical assistants remain unable to work with needles comfortably. However, having a lifelong fear of needles doesn’t mean you can’t pursue your interests in patient care. Learn about strategies to help you overcome your fears and options for medical assistants whose anxiety isn’t easily conquered.
Common concerns
Whether you’re afraid of administering shots, receiving shots or simply handling needles, you’re not alone in having a fear of needles. Up to 25% of adults have a fear of needles, says Harvard Medical School. While it’s unclear how often this phobia affects medical assistant students, needle fear exists in up to 27% of hospital employees, 18% of workers at long-term care facilities and 8% of healthcare workers at hospitals, according to research published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.
The reasons needle phobia occurs can vary by person. Factors like general anxiety, pain, fear of seeing blood and previous traumatic experiences with needles are common causes. For patients, needle fear can result in delaying diagnostic blood tests, avoiding treatments and hesitating to get recommended vaccines. For medical assistant students, needle fear can present clinical and professional considerations. However, these issues can often be managed without ending your career.
As a new medical assistant student, your fear of needles may be exacerbated by a fear of the unknown. While the process becomes routine with experience, unfamiliarity with the physical aspects, tools and processes involved in using needles can make it difficult to imagine yourself puncturing another person. Give yourself time to learn new medical knowledge and develop the skills to apply it before you decide it’s something you can’t handle.
Consider the impact of your fear of needles. Inform your instructors early so they can offer additional support, coping strategies and skill modifications. Medical assistant instructors routinely guide anxious students through a range of challenges, so they won’t be shocked by your concerns. Be specific about your fears by considering:
Program support
Mastering vaccine and phlebotomy skills (the process of drawing blood from a patient) takes time and practice, which will be included in the curriculum of your broader medical assistant program. The process is based on the successful education of medical assistants in the past, many of whom likely had needle fears and concerns like your own. This task-specific instruction focuses on helping students gain the practical skills necessary to administer routine injections and other needle procedures under the supervision of a physician.
You will learn these skills through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on practice before you interact with a patient. Once you gain the appropriate knowledge and experience, you will have the chance to apply your skills under supervision as part of an externship program in a healthcare setting.
Medical assistant programs use knowledge and acclimation to teach needle skills, which can help instill confidence and calm fears. While each program differs, many include a combination of the following types of training:
Classroom instruction:
Lectures and discussions on the physiology of the circulatory system as well as phlebotomy techniques, including appropriate protocols, equipment and patient care, are common components of medical assistant education.
Injection pads:
Injection pads are simulator pads designed to withstand thousands of needle punctures so students can practice injection techniques. These pads mimic the structure and feel of human tissue. This allows for the realistic practice of various injection types, such as intradermal, subcutaneous and intramuscular injections. Injection pads can help build muscle memory and boost confidence. They can also help you overcome the anxiety of administering injections by trying different techniques and approaches.
Mannequins:
Medical assistant programs often use venipuncture and IV mannequin arms to introduce hands-on practice in needle handling and procedures. These plastic “arms” have internal tubes that simulate veins. To help you determine whether you’ve done a vein stick correctly, each tube is loaded with colored fluid.
Virtual reality:
Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly being adopted as a simulation tool in all aspects of medical education. These tools use computers and human patient simulators to create a realistic and immersive learning environment. Don’t discount the value of practicing with virtual tools. In a study published in Nurse Education Today, researchers demonstrated that nursing students who used a VR tool displayed significant improvement in their knowledge of intravenous (IV) injection.
Peer subjects:
While some medical assistant education programs allow students to practice supervised injections or blood draws on each other, it is not a universal practice. Most programs opt for safer options for practice. If you have a fear of being stuck with needles, find out whether a medical assistant program uses this type of practice before you commit to attending.
Scope of practice issues
The degree to which you will be required to utilize your needle skills in professional practice is determined by the scope of practice for medical assistants in the state in which you work. While many states allow medical assistants to administer vaccines, draw blood and perform other needle-based procedures under a physician’s supervision, some states limit these procedures to medical assistants who complete additional phlebotomy education program and/or certification.
The degree to which you will be required to utilize your needle skills in professional practice is determined by the scope of practice for medical assistants in the state in which you work.
The bottom line is that your discomfort with using needles as a student may not be relevant to your employment as a medical assistant if using needles is not within a general medical assistant’s scope of practice in your state.
You can find out about the scope of practice in your state by contacting your state department of health or other state agency that oversees medical assistants. Consult the website of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) for a listing of medical assistant scope of practice laws by state.
Strategies worth trying
Overcoming a fear of needles can be an important achievement for professional success as well as personal well-being. However, getting over a lifelong fear can take time and patience. If the mere sight of needles immobilized you in the past, the simple act of handling a needle without panic can be a sign of progress.
Depending on the severity of your phobia and your commitment to overcoming it, you may benefit from some of the following techniques to manage your fear of needles:
Deep breathing:
Your body tenses when you’re anxious or scared, forcing you to breathe faster and shallower. You can relax and focus on the task at hand by practicing deep breathing, which involves taking long, slow, deep breaths through your nose and letting them out slowly through your mouth.
Positive self-talk:
Remind yourself that you have mastered the knowledge and skills necessary to work with needles as a healthcare professional. This can help instill confidence and reduce your fears.
Cognitive behavior therapy:
Cognitive behavior therapy, often called talk therapy, can help you challenge your negative thoughts associated with your fear of needles. A professional counselor can help you identify and modify your behaviors so you can manage your fear in practical situations in the workplace.
Gradual exposure:
This involves desensitizing yourself to the object of your fear by starting with low-anxiety situations and working up to real-life applications. You can start by watching a video of someone giving a shot then build up to holding a syringe and eventually, practicing needle techniques. The more you face your fears in controlled settings, the more comfortable and confident you will feel facing them in real life.
Options to consider
Medical assistants who are proficient in phlebotomy and administering needle-based procedures are more adaptable and in demand. Overcoming your fear can make you more marketable when you’re ready to seek employment if you work in a state where medical assistants routinely perform these tasks.
However, medical assistants have many skills to offer beyond those that involve needles. The need for medical assistants to perform needle procedures can vary by employer even in states where it is allowed. Medical offices that provide primary care and pediatrics are more likely to have professional responsibilities that involve vaccines and drawing blood but that isn’t true for all specialties. With the variety of medical assistant roles available, you can choose to pursue employment where your responsibilities don’t involve dealing with needles. These options may include:
Even if your state allows medical assistants to perform needle-based procedures, you don’t have to do so if you feel unqualified or uneasy performing these procedures. The best approach is to make your concerns clear when interviewing for a position as a medical assistant. This ensures that you understand the expectations of your role and a prospective employer is aware of your professional strengths and abilities so you can succeed within confidence.
