Course Description

Build from first stick to finesse in a hands-on course blending technique, safety, and workflow mastery. Practice confident patient ID and consent, vein anatomy and site selection (median cubital, cephalic, basilic), and venipuncture using straight needle, butterfly, and syringe—then level up to tough draws with troubleshooting. Foundations • Standard precautions, PPE, sharps safety, OSHA/CLSI-aligned habits • Tourniquet placement/timing and vein assessment • Strategies to prevent hemolysis and contamination Core Venipuncture Skills • Site selection, anchoring, insertion angle, order of operations • Straight needle, butterfly, and syringe techniques • Order of draw, tube/additive selection, fill volumes, gentle inversion • Special handling: on ice, light-protected, warmed specimens Capillary Collection • Finger/heel stick technique and depth control • Capillary order of draw to reduce platelet clumping and tissue fluid error • Warming, site selection, wipe-away-first drop, sealing Specimen Integrity & Lab Interface • Label bedside with two identifiers; requisition checks • Centrifugation basics, aliquoting, chain-of-custody scenarios • Courier handoff and time-sensitive transport Special Collections & POCT • Blood cultures with aseptic prep; contamination avoidance • Glucose tolerance timing; lactate/ammonia handling • POCT with daily QC, lot/expiry tracking, documentation Advanced Labs: Difficult Situations • Rolling/fragile veins, edema, obesity, dehydration, anticoagulated patients • Geriatric/pediatric adaptations; fainting-risk mitigation • When to change angle/device/site; release a collapsed vein; when to stop/escalate Patient Experience • Pain reduction: site warming, anchoring, distraction • Professional scripting, cultural humility, privacy • Clear after-care to prevent hematoma Documentation & Safety Events • Record exact site, attempts, complications, tubes drawn, teaching provided • Concise EHR messaging to close loops with providers • Simulated responses to vasovagal episodes, hematoma formation, and exposure incidents Who Should Enroll • New entrants, cross-training MAs/PCTs, employer cohorts Outcomes • Reliable ID and labeling; clean sticks on time • Preserved specimens for accurate results • Calm, respectful bedside manner that builds trust and safety.