How to collect A Blood Specimen

Blood draws can be rather intimidating as a new nurse or phlebotomist.  You don't want to poke the patient and then not have anything to show for it!  There are a couple of tricks for patients who have difficult veins:

  • Flick the spot where the vein is.  I know this sounds strange, but it helps to puff the little vein up!  Don't be shy about flicking it either. 
  • Put a warm blanket around the arm that you are going to be drawing blood from. 
  • Have the patient make a fist with the hand of the arm you are drawing from. 

I think that videos probably speak much better than words when talking about drawing blood.  The first video is a peripheral venous blood draw and the second is a blood draw from a central line. The second is performed on a mannequin. Enjoy! 

http://www.phlebotomytraininginformation.com Phlebotomy Training Video - How to Perform Venepuncture Information about phlebotomy training, programs, schools, certification and salary! Phlebotomy involves drawing blood from patients for use in testing as well as transfusions or storage of blood for future use. Phlebotomists are specially trained to gather blood samples and provide the testing and reporting required of these samples.

Uploaded by AmerHomeHealth on 2011-01-25. Video of a blood draw from a ventral venous catheter using a vacutainer transfer device.