Course Overview

Phlebotomy, or the practice of drawing blood, stands as one of the most frequent invasive clinical procedures performed across diverse healthcare environments.

This Ausmed Course provides learners with a practical guide to best practices for drawing blood, taking an in-depth look at how to safely execute each step of the phlebotomy process through both lectures and hands-on demonstrations.

Topics

• Conducting phlebotomy (drawing blood)
• Vein and site selection
• Order of draw
• Aseptic technique
• Patient preparation
• Phlebotomy equipment

Need

Phlebotomy, or drawing blood, is the most common invasive clinical procedure regularly undertaken across various healthcare settings. Ensuring that each step in this procedure is executed according to best-practice principles is vital in helping prevent potential laboratory errors, patient harm, and even fatal outcomes.

Therefore, providing a thorough understanding and demonstration of the process of phlebotomy and arming healthcare professionals with the right tools and knowledge of best-practice guidelines is essential in order to achieve positive outcomes.

Purpose

The purpose of this Ausmed Course is to update and enhance learners’ understanding of the phlebotomy procedure through the provision of a demonstration of best practices, in order to improve quality outcomes for both patients and healthcare professionals.

Learning Outcomes

• Identify the necessary requirements for conducting a phlebotomy procedure.
• Describe the steps required to prepare for a phlebotomy procedure.
• Understand best practices for safety when conducting a phlebotomy procedure.
• Apply knowledge in practice during a phlebotomy procedure.
• Describe key responsibilities during the immediate post-procedure period.

Target Audience

Nurses and other healthcare professionals looking to enhance their understanding of how to conduct a phlebotomy procedure safely.

Disclosure

No conflict of interest exists for anyone in the position to control content for this activity. Wherever possible, generic or non-proprietary names of medications or products have been used.

Educators

Presented by

Emily Matthews View profile

Emily Matthews works as a Clinical Nurse Educator and Clinical Nurse Specialist on the Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplant ward at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. She has been involved in the care of patients affected by cancer and haematological disorders for over 10 years and has a great passion of caring for patients and supporting nurses in this specialty area.

Peer reviewed by

Christine Romero View profile