For which of the following reason should a phlebotomy technician place a specimen in a biohazard bag for transport to an outside laboratory?

Phlebotomy technicians collect blood from patients and prepare the samples for testing. Most work in hospitals and clinics, but some collect blood for donation purposes. Phlebotomy technicians are important members of the health care team and often need to explain the blood-drawing procedure and put patients at ease.

With constantly evolving medical technologies, phlebotomy technicians must know the difference in blood test types and should be aware of how medications and diet impact blood samples.

Scope of practice

Phlebotomy technicians are responsible for drawing samples of blood and preparing them for testing. Common tasks and duties include:

  • Explaining procedures to patients
  • Comforting patients that might be nervous about needles
  • Taking blood pressure, pulse, and respiration readings
  • Drawing blood
  • Applying bandages after blood is drawn
  • Sending blood, urine, or fecal samples to the lab for testing
  • Sterilizing equipment and cleaning workspaces
  • Updating patient medical records

Work environment

Phlebotomy technicians work in hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices, nursing homes, private home care, medical labs, blood donation centers, research institutes, and insurance companies. They may work day, evening, or night shifts, including weekend and holiday hours. The majority of their time is spent on their feet, interacting with patients or preparing samples to be sent to the lab.

Becoming a phlebotomy technician

Due to the intricate work of inserting needles into hard-to-find veins, phlebotomy technicians need to have well-tuned fine motor skills. They need to be able to handle difficult and emotional patients that might be afraid of needles. Finally, they need to be detail-oriented and able to remember safety precautions, how different diets can affect blood samples, and exactly how samples need to be treated to appropriately test them.

Higher education requirements

To become a phlebotomy technician, you must have a high school degree or equivalent and a phlebotomy technician training program. These programs can last a few months to a year.

Certification process

The certification process can vary depending on which organization is certifying the phlebotomy technician. These organizations include the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, National Healthcareer Association, and the American Medical Technologists. Requirements typically include a high school diploma or GED, a phlebotomy training program, and potentially some work experience.

Career opportunities and outlook

Phlebotomy technicians can expect a median salary range of $37,380.

Phlebotomy is an expanding field with excellent career opportunities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment of phlebotomist technicians to grow much faster than average. Blood testing is an essential task in health care so demand for phlebotomy technicians is likely to increase since doctors use blood work for analysis and diagnosis.

To advance their careers, some phlebotomy technicians choose to get certified in a particular area to become phlebotomy specialists or donor phlebotomy technicians. With additional experience and education, others become medical lab technicians, medical assistants, or registered nurses (R.N.s).

By the numbers

NHA exam

Which of the following tubes should a phlebotomy technician collect first when obtaining dermal samples?

A phlebotomy technician is preparing to draw a peak level for a medication that was administered orally to a patient. After verifying when the patient received the medication, how long should the technician wait prior to attempting the draw?

2 hr. after administration

Which of the following action is a phlebotomy technician required to take before leaving a patient's room

Initial and mark the date and time on each tube drawn.

How frequently should a phlebotomist perform a quality control test on a glu856+cometer in the laboratory

Every day the meter is used

A phlebotomist is assembling the equipment he will need for collecting donor units of blood. Which of the following needle sizes should the technician select

phlebotomist is preparing a patient for a routine venipuncture. Which of the following antiseptic solutions should the technician use

phlebotomist is preparing to dispose of contaminated sharps. According to OSHA standards, which of the following actions should the technician take

Replace the sharps container when it is 2/3rds

phlebotomist is reviewing a laboratory requisition before obtaining blood specimens from a patient. The technician should verify that the requisition includes which of the following information

specimen identification code.

phlebotomist is selecting a site to collect a blood specimen from a patient. After applying a tourniquet, the technician sees no apparent vein to use for the venipuncture. Which of the following actions should the technician take

has the patient dangle her arm for 1 to 2 min.

After placing a tourniquet on a patient's arm, a phlebotomy technician notices small red spots below the tourniquet. Which of the following terms describes these spots

phlebotomy technician is collecting a urine specimen form a patient for a pre-employment drug test. Which of the following actions should the technician take

Verify that the specimen contains at least 45 mL of urine.

phlebotomist has collected a blood specimen from a patient who is in an isolation room. Which of the following pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) should the technician remove first?

phlebotomist is preparing to obtain a blood specimen from a patient in an outpatient setting. Using standard precautions, which of the following pieces of personal protective equipment should the technician wear?

phlebotomist is preparing to draw blood from a patient's arm and observes a sore at the site where the tourniquet is to be placed. Which of the following actions should the technician take

Tie the tourniquet over the patient's sleeve.

phlebotomist is preparing to collect a blood specimen from a patient who had a right sided mastectomy. Which of the following sites should the technician select

Medial cubital vein in the left arm

phlebotomist should comply with HIPPA to protect which of the following

phlebotomist is educating a patient about the at home collection of a semen specimen. Which of the following statements by the patient indicates an understanding of the procedure

. "I will collect the specimen in a sterile container and return within 2 hours.

When collecting a routine blood sample, which of the following veins should a phlebotomist attempt to draw from first

phlebotomist is collecting capillary blood drops on a filter paper card to screen a newborn for phenylketonuria. Which of the following actions should the technician take

Apply blood to the prinded side of the filter paper

Which of the following actions should a phlebotomist take a location a vein using the warming technique?

Encase the warm towel in a plastic bag.

phlebotomist is preparing to collect a blood specimen from a patient who signed a general informed consent form upon admission to the facility. Which of the following actions by the patient indicates implied consent for the venipuncture

Rolling up on his shirtsleeve

phlebotomist is obtaining a blood specimen from a patient. The patient report experiencing a sharp, painful, and tingling sensation going down her arm and into her hand. The technician should recognize that which of the following complications of venipunc

phlebotomist is using a point-of- care test system to determine a patients WBC count. For which of the following results should the technician immediately notify the provider

When should a phlebotomist perform external liquid controls for quality control on a CLIA-waived glucose point-of-care test

When a new lot number or kit is opened

A phlebotomist should select a tube that has which of the following anticoagulants to collect a sample for a PT/PTT test

phlebotomist should identify that which of the following is an identifier for a specimen as long as it remains in the laboratory

phlebotomist is preparing to obtain a blood specimen from a patient for an erythrocyte sedimentation rate test. The technician should select a collection tube that has a top with which of the following colors

phlebotomist is preparing to collect a vancomycin peak level for a patient in an inpatient setting. Which of the following action should the technician take prior to collecting the blood specimen

Ask the attending nurse if the patients vancomycin dose schedule is accurate.

phlebotomist should identify that which of the following is the first step in blood collection procedure

After exiting a patients room which of the following is the last piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) a phlebotomist should remove

phlebotomist is applying a tourniquet prior to collecting a blood specimen from a patient. Which of the following actions should the technician take

Tuck a partial loop of tourniquet underneath the tourniquet

phlebotomist is preparing a peripheral blood smear from a patient's capillary blood. Which of the following actions should the technician take

use the second drop of blood that emerges from the puncture

phlebotomy technician should select a tube that has which of the following additives when collecting a blood specimen for a CBC

which of the following reason should a phlebotomist centrifuge a serum specimen before transport to an outside reference laboratory

Cells must be separated from the serum

phlebotomist is preparing to perform a venipuncture for a 2 year old child. The child asks if the blood draw will hurt. Which of the following statements should the technician make

You will feel a small prick.

phlebotomist has a requisition form for a series of test on a patients serum. The technician should select a collection tube that contains which of the following additive

Which of the following personal protective equipment provides a phlebotomist with the best protection when drawing blood from a patient who has active tuberculosis

phlebotomist is preparing to obtain a blood specimen from a patient for thyroid studies. The technician should select a collection tube that has a top with which of the following colors

phlebotomist is preparing to enter a patients room to collect a blood specimen. Which of the following actions should the technician plan to take

Communicate name and department affiliation to the patient

Which of the following actions should a phlebotomist take after collecting an ammonia specimen

Place the specimen tube in an ice water slurry

Which of the following actions should a phlebotomist take to maintain compliance with HIPAA

Clear phone numbers from the fax machine

phlebotomist is preparing to obtain a blood specimen to determine a patients sodium level. The technician should select a collection tube that has a top with which of the following colors

After verifying a patients identity, a phlebotomist sees that the patients laboratory results are ready. Which of the following actions should the technician

Inform the patient to contact the ordering provider to obtain the results

phlebotomist is preparing to draw blood from a patient who has scabies. Which of the following pieces of personal protection equipment should the technician use

Which of the following sources for patient identification should a phlebotomist use in an inpatient setting

phlebotomist is reviewing a lab test requisition form before obtaining blood specimens from a patient. Which of the following actions should the technician take prior to performing venipuncture

Check the requisition form for duplicate test orders.

provider has ordered a urine culture and sensitivity test. Which of the following types of urine collection should a phlebotomist obtain.

Clean catch and midstream

phlebotomist is preparing several specimens for transport to the facilities lab. Which of the following specimens should the technician protect from bright light by placing it in an amber/brown biohazard bag for transport

Which of the following test results are affected when a phlebotomist uses povidone-iodine to cleanse a site for a dermal puncture

phlebotomist receives a chemical plash to his forearm. After removing his contaminating clothing, which of the following is the minimum amount of time the technician should rinse that affected area

which of the following procedures should a phlebotomist follow chain of custody guidelines

phlebotomist is performing a venipuncture for a patient who begins to seize. Which of the following actions should the technician take

phlebotomist observes a hematoma developing at the site of a venous blood draw. Which of the following action should the technician take

Release the tourniquet and stop the draw

phlebotomist has a requisition form to perform a chromosome analysis for a patient. The technician should select a collection tube that contains which of the following additives

phlebotomist is preparing to draw blood from a patient who states that this is his first blood draw. Which of the following actions should the technician take

Describe the procedure to the patient

phlebotomist is performing a total cholesterol point of care test for a patient which of the following findings should the technician immediately report to the provider

phlebotomist is disposing of used supplies when he accidentally receives a needlestick injury. According to OSHA guidelines, which of the following actions should the technician take first

Wash the puncture site with soap and water

phlebotomist is drawing a patients blood when the patient states that she is becoming dizzy and light headed. Which of the following actions should the technician take first

Remove the tourniquet and needle

phlebotomist is collecting a blood specimen from a patient. Which of the following techniques should the technician use to anchor the wein just before inserting needle

Use the thumb to anchor the vein 5cm(2in) below the puncture site.

phlebotomist is collecting a blood specimen from a patient who has cutaneous diphtheria. Besides gloves, which of the following pieces of personal protective equipment should the tech wear

phlebotomist has a mild sensitivity to latex. According to the National Institute for occupational safety and health (NIOSH), which of the following actions should the technician take

Wear nitrile gloves instead of latex gloves

phlebotomist is following the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute's (CLSI) clinical laboratory workflow pathway. As part of the post examination phase of this process, which of the following actions should the technician take

Enter critical laboratory data

phlebotomist is preparing to perform a fingerstick for a patient. Which of the following actions should the technician take first

Confirm the identity of the patient.

phlebotomist is collecting a blood specimen from a patient to measure the trough level of a medication. The technician should collect the specimen at which of the following times

Within 15 min before the patient receives the next dose of medication

phlebotomist is preparing to collect blood specimen from a small vein of an older adult patient. Which of the following actions should the technician take to keep the vein from collapsing

Use a small needle for the draw

phlebotomist has a request to collect a routine CBC from a healthy 10 month old infant. Which of the following collection sites should the technician select

unconscious patient is brought to the emergency department, and several blood tests are ordered. A phlebotomist should collect the patients blood because he has received which of the following types of consent

phlebotomist is using an evacuated needle holder and blood collection tubes to collect blood from a patient. Which of the following actions should the technician take

Push the first collection tube gently into the holder

According to OSHA standards, how often should a phlebotomist wash her hands with soap and water

After every third use of hand sanitizer

phlebotomist uses alcohol to cleanse a venipuncture site. Before performing the venipuncture, the technician should allow the site to dry for which of the following reasons

Alcohol requires time for antiseptic action to take effect

According to standard precautions, a phlebotomist should take which of the following actions when shipping specimens to a reference laboratory in hot weather

Place the specimen in a box with cold packs and a biohazard label

phlebotomist is using a glucose monitor for pint of care testing of a patient who has been fasting for 12 hr. For which of the following results should the technician immediately notify the provider.

prevent hospital acquired infections a phlebotomist should clean items that have been contaminated by blood with a 1:10 dilution of which of the following substances and water?

which of the following reasons should a phlebotomist examine the antecubital areas in both of a patients arms?

The median cubital vein could be more accessible on one side than the other.

Which of the following is the best method for a phlebotomist to collect a blood specimen from an older adult patient who has fragile, easy to collapse

Choose a syringe and butterfly assembly and transfer to an ETS tube.

phlebotomist is obtaining a blood culture specimen from an adult patient. Which of the following actions should the technician take

Withdraw the blood into a sterile safety syringe.

phlebotomist is preparing to perform a blood draw on a patient who had a left sided mastectomy and has an IV on her right side. In which of the following locations should the technician perform the draw

phlebotomist is preparing to collect a blood specimen from a patient who is allergic to alcohol. Which of the following antiseptic solutions should the technician use to prepare the insertion site

phlebotomist is removing his gloves after a venipuncture procedure. Which of the following actions should the technician take

Remove the first glove so that it turns inside out during removal

phlebotomist sees a coworker receive a major electrical shock from an instrument. Which of the following actions should the technician take first

Shut off power to the instrument

phlebotomist is interviewing a patient before performing a venipuncture. During the interview, the patient states that he lives nearby and ran to the facility to "get in some running time today." Which of the following precautionary actions should the tec

Have the patient rest comfortably for at least 15 min before the venipuncture

Prior to transport, which of the following specimens should a phlebotomist place in an ice bath within 30 min after collection?

phlebotomist is collecting a blood sample from a newborn who weighs 3.2kg (7lb) which of the following amounts is the maximum volume of blood the technician can draw from this newborn at one time

phlebotomist should transport a semen sample at which of the following temperatures

phlebotomist is collecting a blood specimen from a patient. To avoid hemolysis, which of the following precautions should the technician take

Ensure the alcohol at the insertion site has dried

phlebotomist is preparing to collect a blood specimen from the hand of patient whose veins are difficult to access. Which of the following devices should the technician use

phlebotomist is preparing to collect a patients troponin T level. Which of the following troponin T levels should the technician immediately report to the provider

phlebotomist should use a capillary collection instead of a venipuncture in which of the following situations

patients veins are inaccessible

Which of the following collection tubes should a phlebotomist use when collecting for a routine chemistry test that requires serum

phlebotomist is performing a venipuncture using a winged infusion set. The red topped tube fills, but the light blue topped tube slows and does not fill completely. Which of the following actions should the technician take

Insert a new light blue topped tube to see if it will fill

phlebotomist is collecting a blood specimen from a patient who has pneumonia. Besides gloves, which of the following pieces of personal protective equipment should the technician wear

phlebotomist is preparing to draw blood from a patient in an inpatient setting. The patient extends his arm and turn his head away. This action by the patient is an example of which of the following types of consent

phlebotomist is preparing to perform a venipuncture on a patient who states, " I faint at the sight of blood." Which of the following position is optimal for the patients safety during the procedure

Lying in a reclined position

phlebotomist should identify that which of the following colors signifies a health hazard in the national fire protection association (NFPA) 704 marking system

Which of the following actions should a phlebotomy technician take when performing a venipuncture using an evacuated tube?

Which of the following actions should a phlebotomy technician take when performing a venipuncture using an evacuated tube system? The technician should position the needle in the same direction as the vein and at a 30 degree angle with the bevel up.

Which of the following reasons should a phlebotomy technician centrifuge A serum specimen before transport to an outside reference laboratory?

Cells must be separated from the serum. If the specimen is not centrifuged the cells will continue to metabolize in the serum. Therefore, the technician should centrifuge a serum specimen before transporting it to a laboratory.

For which of the following reasons should a phlebotomy technician place a specimen in a biohazard bag for transport?

For which of the following reason should a phlebotomy technician place a specimen in a biohazard bag for transport to an outside laboratory? The biohazard bag prevents a possible exposure incident. A phlebotomy technician is preparing to collect a blood specimen from a patient who states that he is HIV positive.

Which of the following specimens should a phlebotomy technician place in an ice bath within 30 minutes after collection?

Phlebotomy Practice.