Comfort-First Pediatric Blood Draw Training

Applying behavioral science to reduce distress, restraint, and burnout across outpatient care. Bridging medical workflows and behavioral strategies to support neurodivergent and anxious pediatric patients — starting with the most challenging procedures

The Problem

When pediatric patients escalate during procedures, care slows down — schedules slip, staff burn out, and families avoid future visits.

Most medical training focuses on technical skill, not nervous-system regulation — especially for neurodivergent children.

That gap costs time, trust, and outcomes.

DOES YOUR TEAM FACE THESE CHALLENGES?

Appointments running overtime due to patient anxiety
Staff feeling unprepared to work with neurodivergent patients
Procedures requiring restraint or sedation that could be avoided
Families canceling or avoiding necessary medical care
Team burnout from difficult patient interactions
Lack of standardized protocols for anxious or sensory-sensitive children

Your team is skilled at the technical aspects of care—but medical training rarely includes behavioral strategies for neurodivergent patients.

That's where I come in

The Solution

WHO I TRAIN

Medical Teams
• Pediatric & family practices
• Phlebotomy & lab staff
• Dental & specialty clinics
• Hospital & outpatient services

Behavioral & Education Teams
• ABA clinicians & technicians
• School nurses & special education teams
• Child life & support staff

Organizational Leaders
• Practice managers
• Clinic & hospital leadership
• Quality improvement teams

If your organization serves neurodivergent children, this training will transform your approach

WHAT YOUR TEAM WILL LEARN CORE TRAINING MODULES:

Training is practical, applied, and focused on real clinical workflows — not theory.

Understanding neurodivergence in medical settings

Communication that reduces threat and escalation
Behavioral strategies for procedures (task analysis, reinforcement, desensitization)
Sensory-aware modifications
Trauma-informed care & family partnership
Practical protocols and real-world application

VIRTUAL TEAM TRAINING — $499 | 2 Hours via Zoom

Perfect for: Small teams, dispersed staff, or budget-conscious organizations
Includes:

2-hour live interactive workshop (up to 10 participants)
Screen-shared presentation with visual examples
Breakout practice activities
Digital resource packet (PDFs, templates, protocols)
Recording for absent staff
30 days of email support for implementation questions
Certificates of completion

Best for: Medical practices, small ABA clinics, and school-based teams

HALF-DAY WORKSHOP — $799 (Virtual) | $999 (In-Person)

Perfect for: Teams ready for hands-on, scenario-based learning
Includes:

4 hours of interactive training
Customized content for your setting and challenges
Extensive role-play and scenario practice
Comprehensive printed resource manual
Staff assessment tools (pre/post training)
Implementation toolkit with ready-to-use materials
60 days of email/phone support
Optional 30-day follow-up check-in call
CEU certificates (if applicable)

Add-ons:

Follow-up booster session (+$200)
On-site observation and feedback (+$250)

Best for: Larger practices, hospital departments, and ABA organizations

FULL-DAY TRAINING + IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT — $4,999 (Virtual) | $6,499 (In-Person)

Perfect for: Organizations committed to culture change and long-term results
Includes:

6–8 hours of comprehensive training
Pre-training needs assessment and customization
Morning: Core concepts & strategies
Afternoon: Case consultation, role-play, and protocol development
Complete implementation toolkit
Train-the-trainer components (your staff can teach others)
90 days of ongoing support (email, phone, video calls)
Two follow-up sessions (30 & 60 days)
Staff competency assessments
Custom-branded resources for your organization
Optional video library of demonstration clips

Add-ons:

Quarterly refresher training (+$999 each)
Annual retainer for ongoing consultation (custom quote)
Multi-location training discounts available

Best for: Hospital systems, multi-site clinics, and ABA agencies

INDIVIDUAL CASE CONSULTATION $247 per hour Perfect for: Specific patient challenges, implementation troubleshooting INCLUDES: One hour of focused consultation (virtual) Review of specific case details (de-identified) Strategic behavioral recommendations Practical implementation steps Written consultation summary 2 weeks of email follow-up support BEST FOR: Individual clinicians, specific challenging cases, one-time needs

WHY POKEPALS TRAINING IS DIFFERENT

Taught by someone who’s done the work

Bridge builder (medical + behavioral fluency)
Practical & immediately applicable
Customized to your setting
Interactive, not lecture-based
Supported implementation

Poke Pals provides educational coaching, training, and consultation—not medical treatment, therapy, or diagnosis. Services complement care from licensed professionals

Professional Consultation Call

Testimonials

[I had the opportunity to work alongside Franchesca in a phlebotomy role and was able to observe first hand how well she works with patients of all demographics and backgrounds especially pediatric and neonatal patients and special needs patients of all ages. She is a very talented and highly skilled phlebotomist, and has a particular talent for making the otherwise unpleasant experience of blood draws a much more palatable and even positive experience for both the patient and their parents/guardians. I have had the chance to observe her work with so many patients who required special considerations to perform high quality blood draws while enhancing the patient's experience overall.

I particularly remember an encounter where a young adult patient with special needs arrived with his mother and a caretaker for routine blood work. Now this patient was non-verbal and very strong, and previously it had taken a significant amount of time (often around an hour) for myself and some of the other phlebotomists to work with him to allow us to draw his blood. However the first time Franchesca had the opportunity to work with him, she calmly worked with him at his own pace and quickly built a rapport with him and made him feel comfortable to the point where he immediately let her draw his blood. Her ability to build this rapport with her patients was one of the driving factors that made this encounter the smoothest and most efficient one this patient had ever had. His mother and his caretaker were blown away by how easy that experience was when Franchesca drew his bloodwork. There are many similar instances that come to my mind when considering how professional and effective Franchesca is at providing the highest quality of care for all her patients, but especially those young children and special needs patients who are unable to understand or are just plain scared to get their blood work done

John, UVA Medical Center