Heat packs are so underutilized. I'm glad to see people doing it! Heat packs, warm blankets... Warm water in a glove if you don't have those things.

Gravity. Put the tourniquet on and drop the limb. Raise the bed/chair or sit yourself down.

Double tourniquets. There's nothing I hate more than seeing people crank their tourniquets ridiculously tight. 😬 I've never found it particularly effective and it's definitely uncomfortable. Whenever possible, have fabric between the tourniquet and skin, and if it's tricky, put a second tourniquet on 1-2 inches above the first. I also really love bariatric tourniquets for diff sticks of all sizes. They're wider, so less likely to collapse on themselves and give more surface area.

I don't flick or slap often. I usually prefer to rub the vein, getting it wet with alcohol and rubbing the site. Once in a blue moon, I'll put a 2x2 over the site and gently flick a couple times, that little buffer seems to help.

And just in case people aren't, talk to your patients. 😸 "Where are people most successful in getting blood from you?"