1
Verify patient information. Verify the patient name, date of birth and reason for blood draw and check the labeling to ensure no mistakes are made. Mislabeling could lead to difficulty processing or even safety issues down the line.
Know the 5 rights of phlebotomy;
1. Right patient (ask them to spell their first name and last name and provide you their date of birth) If the patient is unable to do so, then go to your supervisor or have a nurse verify that this is their patient and sign off on your draw requisition.
2. Right time; if this is a time draw, make sure that you are in the right time frame for the test.
3. Right site; know the site you can legally draw from and make sure the patient approves
4. Right test; make sure you have the correct tubes and correct order of draw
5. Right equipment: ie will you use a butterfly needle, an 21g, 22g or 23g
Locate the vein. The inside of the elbow is generally the preferred location because the median cubital vein is usually easily visible.
- The median cubital vein runs between the muscles and may be clearly visible as a blue bulge in the inside of your elbow. If it cannot be seen it can usually be felt. It is also relatively easy to access because the tissue around it prevents it from rolling away from the needle.
- Avoid drawing blood from a place where your veins divide or join together. This is called bifurcation. Doing so increases risk of bleeding under the skin.
