THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 17, 1996 TAG: 9604170395
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHARLENE CASON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
As a medical laboratory technician, Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeff Grossie is qualified to ``test anything that comes out of your body.'' But eight hours a day, from 3 p.m. until 11, he is the sole technician drawing blood in Portsmouth Naval Medical Center's outpatient phlebotomy lab.
He had to go to school for 53 weeks to become certified in his job.
He's good at it, Grossie says. ``I like dealing with people, especially if they're really nervous. I can usually put them at ease by making small talk. The only way to get good at drawing blood - so it doesn't hurt - is to have plenty of practice, and I've been doing this every day for five years.''
The worst part of his job, Grossie said, is getting people who come in late in the day, after they've ``gotten the runaround all day at the hospital. Then they come in here in a bad mood.''
Children, more than adults, dislike having their blood drawn, he said. If he can't do it without really scaring the kids, he calls a pediatric nurse to help.
But even some adults are terrified of having their veins stuck with a needle. That's usually because ``they had a bad experience when they were children, and it's deep in their subconscious.''
Probably not more than 1 percent of his patients faint from having their blood drawn, Grossie said. When they do, it's often because they're dehydrated. His advice: Always drink a lot of water when you know you're having blood work done. ILLUSTRATION: by CNB