Routine Venipuncture (Online Course)
  (based on 5419 customer ratings)
Authors: Mary Ertl Dettmann, MA, CLS, MT(ASCP); Beth Kratzer, CLS, MT(ASCP)
Reviewer: Barbara Cebulski, MT(ASCP)
A blood test is only as good as the specimen that is collected. Routine Venipuncture is an excellent course for novice or experienced phlebotomists. Review the important aspects of your blood collection procedures, including the recommended order of draw, proper patient identification, acceptable and unacceptable sites for blood collection, and variables in collection procedures that can affect the accuracy of the blood test.
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Continuing Education Credits
Objectives
- Identify and describe equipment used for routine venipuncture.
- Assess and select suitable sites used for venipuncture as well as locations to avoid.
- Describe and utilize the required steps to perform routine venipuncture.
- Understand how pre-analytic and hidden errors affect the quality of a specimen.
- Describe actions that ensure safety during performance of a venipuncture.
Customer Ratings
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Course Outline
Click on a link in the outline to view a sample page from this course.
- Define venipuncture and identify the equipment that is used in the performance of a routine venipuncture.
- Needles
- Blood Collection Tubes
- Blood Tube Labeling Information
- Blood Collection Tubes
- A blood collection tube that has a light-blue top contains which of these anticoagulants?
- Miscelllaneous Equipment
- Tourniquets, Alcohol, and Gauze
- Cleansing the Venipuncture Site
- Vein Selection
- Give Yourself a Chance
- Explore the Possibilities!
- Which of the veins in the antecubital area should be considered only as a final alternative due to its proximity to an artery, nerves, and tendons?
- Hand Veins
- When to Use Hand Veins to Obtain Blood
- Handle With Care
- Tips for Successful Venipuncture When Using Hand Veins
- When assessing a vein in the hand, where should the tourniquet be placed?
- Vein Assessment
- Vein Palpation
- Assessing the Vein
- No - Don't Go There!
- Unacceptable Sites for Venous Blood Collection
- Performing a Venipuncture on an Arm Containing an Intravenous Line
- If a vein cannot be located in the antecubital area of the arm, the next best alternative for venipuncture is a vein in the ankle.
- Venipuncture Procedure
- Follow These Steps for Success
- Venipuncture Procedure At a Glance
- Specimen Collection Procedure
- Specimen Handling Post Venipuncture
- Effects of Pre-analytic and Hidden Error on Specimen Quality
- What are Pre-analytical Errors?
- Pre-analytical Errors
- What is a Hidden Error?
- Proper Patient Identification
- Importance of Using the Correct Blood Collection Tube
- Order of Draw
- Correct Fill
- Labeling Specimens
- Do Not Tamper With the Specimens
- Avoid Prolonged Tourniquet Time
- Pre-analytic and hidden errors can greatly affect a laboratory result.
Match the error listed below with the cause from the drop-down box.
- Ideally, a tourniquet should remain tightened for no longer than what amount of time before releasing it?
- Think Smart Think Safe
- Use common sense when it comes to safety
- Don't Get Stuck Without It
- Do It Right the First Time
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Don't Compromise Your Safety
- Scenarios
- Scenario #1
- Julie Smith was a newly certified phlebotomist and had been working at Northwood Hospital for several months. As she approached room 825, she looked o...
- Which of the following methods could Julie have used to positively identify the patient?
- Scenario Conclusion
- Scenario #2
- Bobby Jones, a phlebotomist at Community Hospital, entered the room of Mrs. Mary Grayson with a physician's order to draw some blood work. After greet...
- Scenario #3
- A phlebotomist was collecting a STAT prothrombin time (PT) and complete blood count (CBC) on a patient when blood flow unexpectedly stopped. The laven...
- References
Additional Information
Level of instruction: Basic Intended audience: This program is designed as an educational and training tool for laboratory personnel, phlebotomists, and other healthcare personnel who perform venipunctures. This course is also appropriate for clinical laboratory science and phlebotomy students. Author information: Mary Ertl Dettmann, MA, CLS, MT(ASCP) is the education supervisor for Wheaton Franciscan Laboratory in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Health Care Administration from Central Michigan University. She has created several interactive, adult-learning courses in laboratory-related subjects including phlebotomy. Beth Kratzer, CLS, MT(ASCP) is a Clinical Trainer in the Education Department at Wheaton Franciscan Laboratories in Wauwatosa Wisconsin. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin Eau-Claire in 1981 and obtained a Certificate of Professional Training from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2004. In addition to many years of technical experience in the hospital environment, Beth has been involved in the creation, implementation and facilitation of educational and training programs for healthcare associates since 2001. Currently, Beth is a primary facilitator for all programs created and offered by her department which include courses for the beginning and experienced. Reviewer information: Barbara Cebulski, MT(ASCP) is the Program Director for MediaLab, Inc. Prior to this position, Ms. Cebulski was an Inspection Specialist in the Laboratory Accreditation Program for the College of American Pathologists (CAP). During this time, she also presented on behalf of CAP at Inspector Training seminars and Point-of-Care Group conferences. She has over 20 years of experience in various areas of laboratory medicine; including hematology, chemistry, and laboratory management. Course description: This course focuses on the routine venipuncture procedure including the tools that are available, steps in the procedure, recommendations for venipuncture site choices as well as sites to avoid, pre-analytic errors, and safety issues.
Routine Venipuncture Keywords
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