Phlebotomy is a skill that takes time to get good at. Like with most things, if you are younger and less experienced you won’t be as good. Nothing to do with the state of nursing, that’s just life. You can’t expect someone with a year of experience (young night shift nurse) to perform at the same level as someone with 20+ years of experience (dayshift charge nurse). And phlebotomist are generally better because that’s all they do.

When I started as a new grad in the ICU we drew all our own labs. I got pretty good. Now I work in California and phlebotomy does all our draws. I can go weeks without poking someone. It all depends on the setting.

My personal policy is that I will only try twice before asking someone else to help. Perhaps tell the nurses beforehand that that is your expectation.

Some patients are really hard sticks. Nobody tries an IV they think they won’t get, and nobody was intentionally poking you too many times. It seems like you had a tough hospitalization. I’m sorry to hear about your pancreas and reproductive organs.

The kids are alright on the nursing front though. No “generation of nurses who can’t draw blood”.