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"One of the greatest threats to specimen integrity has been-and continues to be-decentralized phlebotomy," Ernst said. "When first introduced to the industry in the 1990s, specimen quality tanked and specimen rejection skyrocketed. Many facilities still struggle with this strategy.
The literature is full of studies showing when phlebotomy is recentralized as a laboratory procedure, specimen quality improves dramatically. That translates to more accurate results, faster turnaround times, fewer rejected specimens, better interdepartmental relations and, by extension, better patient care."
Kelly J. Graham is an assistant editor at ADVANCE.
Phlebotomist Duties
American Medical Technologists (AMT), a nonprofit certification agency and professional membership association, details some of the duties a phlebotomist must be capable of competently performing:
- draw blood from patients or donors in hospitals, blood banks, clinics, doctor offices or labs;
- assemble equipment such as needles and blood collection devices;
- verify or record identity of patient or donor;
- converse with patients to allay fear of procedure;
- apply tourniquet to arm, locate vein, swab area with disinfectant and insert needle into vein to draw blood into collection tube;
- label and store blood container for processing;
- may conduct interview, take vital signs and test blood samples to screen donors at a blood bank; and
- analyze information to make appropriate recommendations.
Proper Procedure
Denis J. Ernst, MT(ASCP), director, Center for Phlebotomy Education, offers a few specific steps a lab director can take to ensure those drawing blood are following proper procedure:
- reinforce proper technique by providing regular educational exercises;
- make sure employees know the standards for the procedure and that those standards are reflected in the procedure manual-and employees know where to access that procedure manual;
- encourage staff to become certified in phlebotomy;
- discipline infractions consistently; and
- perform regular and effective evaluations.
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