For Patients Who are Very Difficult IV Sticks

No Need to Become a Human Pin Cushion!
Some of you may have had the experience of being a patient in the hospital and getting poked so many times that you felt like a human pin cushion.  I don't need you tell you it is not a fun experience!  What can you do to avoid multiple attempts at starting an IV, when you know from experience that it is futile? There are several things you can do!
Vein Finders
Ask if the hospital has an ultrasound machine or "Vein Finder" made specifically for finding deep veins.  If the hospital has such equipment, insist that the nurses use it.
Hospital Policy
Hospitals have policies that dictate how many times each nurse can attempt to start an IV.  The policy likely limits it to two or three attempts at the most.  Don't allow the same nurse to keep poking you over and over again without success. 
Ask For the Most Talented IV Starter
Ask for the best IV starter available.  Many nurses have a talent or gift for starting difficult IVs, and it's perfectly ok to ask for that person if you know from experience that special skill is required in your case.
Requesting a PICC Line
Perhaps in past hospitalizations you have always ended up with a PICC line or other central line because you are such a difficult IV stick, and maybe when a nurse does get an IV in you, it doesn't last for any length of time.  If that is the case, you should share that information with the first nurse who sees you in the ER and with the doctor as well.  The problem is that in the beginning, the urgency of your need may require immediate IV access, and it takes time to get a PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) line in.  Also, in the beginning, it is usually unknown as to how long you will be in the hospital.  A picc line is used for extended stays or longer term antibiotic administration.  They are costly, time consuming to insert, and not appropriate for a very short stay.  That said, the doctor may know early on that your stay will likely not be a short one, and in that case, you or your advocate should ask for a PICC line if you are still an almost impossible "stick."
When You Meet Resistance
Patients sometimes feel they meet with resistance even after telling horror story after horror story about dozens of IV sticks, blown veins, and massive bruises on their arms from countless IV starts or attempts.  Some patients have found that these numerous sticks have left them with painful areas that take weeks or even months to heal.  One patient had difficulty using her thumb for months after an especially painful IV stick in her thumb after she had asked the nurse not to try to put an IV in that particular place.  The patient explained that it had been used before and had created problems in the past.  When it seems you are not being heard, you always have the option of asking to speak to a manager. 
Document Your Experience
I hope you don't have another bad experience, but if you do, document the experience with detailed facts that include exactly how many IV sticks you received, when you received them, how long your IV sites lasted before they had to be changed, and how many sticks each nurse attempted.  Finally, I suggest you take a photograph of any bruises or other signs of the numerous sticks you endured. Print out the photo and be prepared to take it and your written documentation to the hospital the next time you have to go.  Show the photo and documentation to the caregivers, or have an advocate do it for you.  The physician and nurses will likely take the situation more seriously if they can see and read what you have endured during previous hospitalizations.
Finally, Be Patient When Patience is Required
Your safety is the most important consideration, and sometimes the need for IV access is so urgent that there simply is no time to wait for equipment, locate someone skilled in starting a PICC line, or make any other special arrangements. Someone has to get an IV in you and FAST!  When that is the case, you may end up with an IV in your neck, if no other site is feasible.  Once the crisis has passed, then you or your advocate can begin to work with the caregivers to make plans to avoid numerous unnecessary IV starts or attempts for the remainder of your stay in the hospital.
I hope these suggestions help, and I hope you never have to endure the human pin cushion experience again!