THE CVAA
Newsletter of the Canadian Vascular Access Association
Fall 2019
From clinician to patient: Using breathing to ease IV anxiety Chantal Daignault, long-time CVAA member, was a member of the IV team at Scarborough General Hospital and was working on her Master’s degree in 2017, when her life was turned upside down. On her way home from an evening shift, her car was rear-ended, and she sustained a traumatic brain injury, brachial plexus, whiplash, and a concussion. Since then, struggling with cognitive function issues and chronic pain, she is working towards healing and one day hopes to be able to rejoin her team at Scarborough General. After years of being a healthcare professional in the vascular access and infusion therapy field, on that day in 2017, Chantal became a patient. As a patient, Chantal has experienced what it is like to endure many IVs, multiple pokes, and the anxiety that comes with her treatment. Working to minimize the angst that often is associated with IV
insertion as a clinician, Chantal now has a new perspective through first-hand experience in her patient journey. As a way to keep busy and encourage healing of her body and brain, Chantal has become a certified yoga instructor and specializes in meditation and breathwork. After more than 200 hours of training and first-hand use of the skills, Chantal finds breathing techniques or simple meditation to be very effective in reducing anxiety and fear for patients who struggle with IV insertion and other medical procedures. “The breathing doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated,” Chantal says, “for a patient who is feeling anxious, including myself, just a simple Three Part Breath exercise can make a significant difference in focus and ability to endure the procedure.” More than just deep breaths in and out, the Three-Part Breath
(Dirga Pranayama) exercise sends focus to the body and breathing during the insertion or procedure. It is one of the simplest and most calming, grounding breathing exercises you can do to nourish the body and relieve stress, tension, and anxiety. Three Part Breath really works to help focus your attention on the present moment while oxygenating the body and blood flow to the brain. • Step 1: Fill the belly and rib cage up with air. Then sip in just a little more air and let it fill the upper chest, all the way up to the collarbone, causing the area around the heart centre to expand and rise. • Step 2: On each exhale, let the breath go first from the upper chest, allowing the heart centre to sink back down, then from the rib cage, letting the ribs slide closer together. • Step 3: Finally, let the air go from the belly, drawing the navel back towards the spine. A simpler version to use as cueing the subsequent breaths: