“It’s the most talked about pain kids experience, even more so than post-op surgical pain.”

Julie Piazza, a certified child life specialist, is referring to needlestick pain from pediatric blood draws. As project manager for patient and family-centered care at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, she has observed anxiety at both ends of the needle.

Years of helping pediatric patients and their families cope with blood draw fears motivated Piazza to consider the phlebotomist’s perspective. Piazza conducted a study focused on phlebotomists’ education, training, experience, and stress levels. She discovered a discrepancy between what the literature recommends for addressing children’s fears and anxieties and the child development education phlebotomists receive, if any.

Piazza is a scholar in MICHR's Practice-Oriented Research Training (PORT) program, and her research is supported by the program. Read more about her research here.