Since it's always so painful & bruising to find a vein in my arms, can I ask for a pediatric needle to be used

Nurses are always using regular size needles and either miss or go right through my veins. I know this because it stings in my arm. Isn't it okay to ask for a pediatric needle for an IV catheter?

Join the Club, Buddy! My veins roll and some go undercover regardless they poke away, but YES! ask for a butterfly and they are usually painless. One time the Pediatric Phlebotomist was called to my hospital room and started crying on my bed because she couldn't draw a drop of blood with a regular needle.
She even said "I want to quit my job!" I told her to use a butterfly on the inside of my wrist and viola! We were done before her tears dried up! I have to have enough blood drawn each month to fill a turkey baster, so believe me when I say this, if they don't get it after 3 tries they usually agree to get someone else.
Be well!
!

Tell them to try a 23 gauge first, it's less painful and the lumen is smaller therefore, less traumatic.

Butterfly (pediatric) needles can be used to draw blood in most cases outside of donation. However, you need a bigger gauge needle for IVs.

I would say yes.
They used a butterfly needle on me and it is really tiny. My veins roll away and they have a hard time, but this one nurse used the butterfly on my hand and immediatly got results and it didn't hurt or bruise.

You could ask but they probably will not do it. But I would suggest just asking them to use a smaller gage adult size needle. I can't use the regular size either because my veins are too small. But when they step it down a size everything goes great.

i have the same problem and I always ask them to "butterfly" me. They have never said no and it works great for me

Ask them to use a 23 or 24 gauge butterfly needle. Sometimes they are referred to as pediatric needles. There is no reason you should be refused.