CAP Pro Course - Phlebotomy - Venipuncture

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Author: Carol Becker, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM
Reviewer: Julie Ann West, PhD, MLS(ASCP)CM, SM(ASCP)CM

Continuing Education Credits

Objectives

  • Recognize the importance of proper patient preparation for venipuncture and describe these steps including patient approach, positive patient identification, and pre-collection requirements necessary for safe blood collection.
  • Identify blood collection tubes according to stopper color and additive and define the recommended order of draw sequence and its importance to specimen integrity.
  • Describe the steps for correct venipuncture performance, including site selection and preparation, and acknowledge common blood collection procedural errors.
  • Address appropriate post-venipuncture safety measures including needle safety, specimen labeling, and disposal of contaminated venipuncture supplies.
  • Explain potential patient complications and specimen integrity concerns resulting from venipuncture that compromises specimen quality and patient care.

Course Outline

  • Recognize the importance of proper patient preparation for venipuncture and describe these steps including patient approach, positive patient identification, and pre-collection requirements necessary for safe blood collection.
      • Introduction to Venipuncture
      • Patient Orders
      • Specimen Collection Priorities
      • Venipuncture Supplies
      • Approaching the Patient
      • Patient Care Partnership and Consent to Treatment
      • Patient Identification
      • Patient Preparation
      • An elderly patient reports to the XYZ Outpatient Center with a doctor's order for pre-surgical testing. After registration, the patient brings her pap...
      • A phlebotomist enters a young female patient's room for a routine blood collection. The patient becomes very apprehensive about the venipuncture and o...
      • A new phlebotomist has completed their training checklist and is collecting patient specimens by themself today. The first patient is ushered to their...
      • An experienced phlebotomist, Jeff, enters the hospital room of Mr. Johnson. He quickly looks around the room as he greets Mr. Johnson, explains his in...
      • Which of the following information is not required on a test requisition?
  • Identify blood collection tubes according to stopper color and additive and define the recommended order of draw sequence and its importance to specimen integrity.
      • Blood Collection Tube Basics: The Evacuated Tube System
      • Understanding Serum versus Plasma Requirements
      • Blood Collection Additives
      • The Order of Draw
      • Maintaining Specimen Integrity
      • A phlebotomist on the medical/surgical floor has had a difficult patient draw and used a winged collection device for a hand vein puncture on an elder...
      • The following tests have been ordered for a patient who arrives at the outpatient laboratory for a blood draw:Potassium Fasting glucose CBC Prothrombi...
      • Which of the following is a correct statement regarding the expiration date on blood tubes?
      • A phlebotomist has selected the following blood collection tubes for a venipuncture on a patient in the ED who has multiple laboratory tests ordered:L...
      • Which of the following statements regarding serum and plasma specimen collection is correct?
  • Describe the steps for correct venipuncture performance, including site selection and preparation, and acknowledge common blood collection procedural errors.
      • Proper Site Selection and Sites to Avoid
      • Cleansing the Site and Proper Tourniquet Application
      • Performing the Venipuncture
      • Common Venipuncture Procedural Errors
      • Which of the following statements regarding tourniquet use represents best practices in blood collection?
      • Indicate the correct order of preference for the use of antecubital veins for venipuncture; prioritize from first to last choice.
      • During a routine venipuncture, a new phlebotomist had difficulty drawing a patient and was unsuccessful in obtaining blood. Which of the following is ...
      • A geriatric patient has an order for blood collection. The phlebotomist assesses the patient for available venipuncture sites and sees an active IV in...
  • Address appropriate post-venipuncture safety measures including needle safety, specimen labeling, and disposal of contaminated venipuncture supplies.
      • Needle Safety Features and Disposal Methods
      • Specimen Labeling
      • Safe Disposal of Venipuncture Supplies
      • Specimen labeling guidelines for blood collection tubes suggest which of the following rules is best for quality patient care?
      • A phlebotomist drops off multiple blood collection tubes from a single patient in the processing area of the laboratory. All the tubes except for one ...
      • When should disposal of the needle used in patient venipuncture occur?
      • Where and when should patient specimens be labeled?
  • Explain potential patient complications and specimen integrity concerns resulting from venipuncture that compromises specimen quality and patient care.
      • Avoidance of Preanalytical Errors
      • Potential Patient Complications
      • Specimen Integrity Issues
      • Which of the following is not an example of a direct specimen integrity issue?
      • A phlebotomist has chosen to use a winged collection device rather than a straight needle to draw a coagulation test (prothrombin time or PT) on a pat...
      • Which of the following is an example of a preanalytical error in blood collection that greatly impacts specimen quality AND is obvious to the laborato...
      • Ms. Sharp had blood drawn earlier this morning at Memorial Hospital Outpatient Clinic. Her venipuncture was problematic as she had difficult veins to ...
  • References
      • References

Additional Information

Level of Instruction: Basic
Intended Audience: This program is designed as an educational and training tool for phlebotomy, MLS, MT, and MLT personnel, medical laboratory science students and interns, pathology residents, and practicing pathologists.
Author: Carol Becker, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM is a retired Program Director for the Clinical Laboratory Science program and Histology program at OSF St. Francis Medical Center located in Peoria, Illinois. Carol received her Master's degree at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois and her Bachelor's degree in Medical Laboratory Science from the University of Illinois in Champaign, IL.
Reviewer Information: Dr. Julie Ann West is certified by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) as a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) and as a Specialist in Microbiology (SM). In addition, Dr. West has earned a PhD in Public Health - Infectious Disease Epidemiology - and is Certified in Public Health (CPH) by the National Board of Public Health Examiners. Dr. West is experienced as a Technical Specialist, Safety Officer, Educator, and Lead in the Veterans Administration Healthcare System, and has prior experience as an Administrative Laboratory Director.

This course is part of the CAP Competency Assessment Hub.

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