BATCH MATATAG 2026

UNIVERSITY OF CEBU – COLLEGE OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

PRINCIPLE OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE 2

PHLEBOTOMY
DEXTER GIOVANNI A. ANDALES RMT, MD, MBA, FPCP, FPSGIM | AUGUST 26, 2022

2nd SEMESTER
PHLEBOTOMY AND THE HEALTH-CARE FIELD

PHLEBOTOMY • Must develop strong organizational skills to handle

- “An incision into a vein” heavy workload efficiently
- One of the oldest medical procedures- dating back to • Maintain accuracy, often under stressful conditions
the early Egyptians
Traditional Duties
“BLOODLETTING” Major traditional duties and responsibilities of the phlebotomist
- Use to cure disease and maintain the body in a state include:
of well-being 1. Correct identification and preparation of the patient
o Hippocrates believed that disease was before sample collection
caused by an excess of body fluids, 2. Collection of the appropriate amount of blood by
including blood, bile, and phlegm, and that venipuncture or dermal puncture for the specified
removal the excess would cause the body tests
to return to or maintain a healthy state 3. Selection of the appropriate sample containers for
- Called “therapeutic phlebotomy” the specified tests
- Used as a treatment for only a small number of blood 4. Correct labeling of all samples with the required
disorders information
- Performed using equipment designed to minimize 5. Appropriate transportation of samples back to the
patient discomfort and with aseptic techniques laboratory in a timely manner
6. Effective interaction with patients and hospital
Techniques for Bloodletting personnel
• Suction cup devices with lancets 7. Processing of samples for delivery to the appropriate
o Pulled blood from the incision laboratory departments
• Application of blood-sucking worms, called “leeches” 8. Performance of computer operations and record-
to an incision keeping pertaining to phlebotomy
• Barber surgery 9. Observation of all safety regulations, quality control
o Blood from incision produced by the checks, and preventive maintenance procedures
barber’s razor was collected in a bleeding 10. Attendance at continuing education programs
bowl
o The familiar red and white striped barber PHLEBOTOMY AND THE CHANGING HEALTH-CARE
pole symbolizes this last technique and SYSTEM
represents red blood and white bandages
and the pole that the patients held on during Efficiency
the procedure • Can be increased by eliminating the need to move
patients to centralized testing areas and;
PHLEBOTOMY NOW • The necessity for health-care personnel travel from a
• Collection of blood samples for laboratory analysis to central testing area to the patient’s room and then
diagnose and monitor medical conditions back to the testing area
• A specialized area of clinical laboratory practice o These changes can range from the cross-
• Brought about the creation of the job title training of persons already located in
“phlebotomist” nursing units to perform basic
• This development supplements, but does not interdisciplinary bed-side procedures to the
replace, the previous practice, in which laboratory actual relocation of specialized radiology
employees both collected and analyzed the and clinical laboratory equipment and
specimens personnel to the patient-care units
Phlebotomist o This also may be referred to as patient-
• No longer just someone who “takes blood” focused care
• Recognized as a key player on the health-care team Decentralization
• Must be familiar with: • One of the first changes to occur
o The health-care system • Accomplished by either cross-training personnel
o The anatomy and physiology related to working in the patient units to perform phlebotomy or
laboratory testing transferring phlebotomists to the patient units and
o Phlebotomy- the collection and transport cross-training them to perform basic patient-care
requirements for tests performed in all tasks
sections of the laboratory, documentation
and patient records and the interpretation Based on institutional protocol, phlebotomists also may be trained to
perform more advanced blood collection procedures.
skills needed to provide quality patient care
Additional duties of Phlebotomists
DUTIES OF THE PHLEBOTOMIST
• Phlebotomist is a person trained to obtain blood
1. Training other health-care personnel to perform
samples primarily by venipuncture and micro
phlebotomy
techniques
2. Monitoring the quality of samples collected on the
• Must have technical, clerical, and interpersonal skills units
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• Phlebotomist should never hesitate to admit a

3. Evaluation of protocols associated with sample mistake
collection o Because a misidentified patient or
4. Performing and monitoring point-of-care testing mislabeled sample can be critical to patient
(POCT) safety
5. Performing electrocardiograms
6. Performing measurement of patient’s vital signs • Patient confidentiality must be protected
7. Collection of arterial blood samples • Patient information is never discussed with anyone
8. Collection of samples from central venous access who does not have a professional need to know it
devices (CVADs) • Phlebotomists must demonstrate competence in the
procedures they are trained to perform
PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS o However, overconfidence in one’s abilities
FOR PHLEBOTOMISTS can result in serious errors. Never perform
a procedure that you have not been
• It is important for phlebotomists to understand that trained to perform.
they are the actual face of the laboratory because ▪ When faced with this situation do
they are the people who interact with the patients not hesitate to ask for assistance
from someone more experienced.

Characteristics Associated with Professionalism

• Dependable, Cooperative, Committed

• Compassionate, Courteous, Respectful
• Integrity, Honesty, Competence
• Organized, Responsible, Flexible
• Appearance
• Communication
Organized, Responsible, Flexible
• Always maintain an organized and well-stocked
collection tray or station
Dependable, Cooperative, Committed
• Must also organize and prioritize their work
• Phlebotomist are relied to report to work whenever
scheduled and on time
• Phlebotomy schedules are designed to
accommodate the expected volume of work
• Failure to appear or arriving late puts additional
pressure on the staff members present
• Be willing to demonstrate your commitment to your
job and your cooperation to assist fellow employees
o A committed phlebotomist attends staff
meeting, reads pertinent memoranda, and
observes notices placed on bulletin board
or in newsletters

Compassionate, Courteous, Respectful

• Phlebotomists must be sensitive to their needs
• Understand a patient’s concern about possible
diagnosis
• Understand the patient’s fear of a needle
• Take the time to reassure each patient
Appearance
A smile and a cheerful tone of voice are simple techniques • A neat and clean appearance that portrays a
that can put a patient more at ease professional attitude to the patient

• Courteous phlebotomists introduce themselves to Remember first impressions are lasting impressions often
the patients before they approach the patient made within 30 seconds and the phlebotomist represents the
o Aids in identifying the patient as you can entire laboratory staff
ask them to state their name in the same
conversation • In general a sloppy appearance indicates a
• Phlebotomists must also understand and respect tendency toward sloppy performance
the cultural diversity of their patients
o Cultural diversity includes not only General Appearance Guidelines
language but also religious beliefs,
customs, and, value 1. Clothing and lab coats must be clean and
• Do not expect every patient to respond to you in the unwrinkled. Clothing worn under the laboratory coat
same way should be conservative and meet institutional
requirements. Lab coats must be completely
• Do not force your mannerisms and approach them
buttoned and completely cover clothing
2. Shoes must be clean, polished, closed toed, and
Honesty, Integrity, Competence
skid-proof

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3. If jewelry is worn, it must be conservative. Dangling

jewelry including earrings can be grabbed by a
patient or become tangled in bedside equipment.
Many institutions do not permit facial piercings and
tattoos; if present, they must be completely
covered. Makeup must also be conservatively
applied
4. Perfume and cologne are usually not recommended
or must be kept to a minimum. Many persons are
allergic to certain fragrances. Remember the
phlebotomist works in close contact with the patient
and the smell of perfume can be particularly
disturbing to a sick person
5. Hair including facial hair must be clean, neat, and
trimmed. Long hair must be neatly pulled back. Like
jewelry, long hair can become tangled in equipment
or pulled by the patient. Long hair hanging near an
infectious patient can transport the infection to your
next patient
6. Personal hygiene is extremely important because of
close patient contact, and careful attention should
be paid to bathing and the use of deodorants and
mouthwashes.
7. Fingernails must be clean and short. Based on the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Handwashing Guidelines, artificial nail extenders
are not allowed.

Communication Skills
Listening skills
• Good communication skills are needed for the
Listening skills are a key component of communication
phlebotomist to function as the liaison between the
Active listening involves:
laboratory and the patients, their family and visitors,
and other health-care personnel • Looking directly and attentively at the patient
• Encouraging the patient to express feelings,
• The three components of communication:
o Verbal skills anxieties, and concerns
o Listening skills • Allowing the patient time to describe why he or she
o Nonverbal skills or body language is concerned
• Verbal and listening skills make up approximately • Providing feedback to the patient through
20 percent of communication and nonverbal skills appropriate responses
contribute approximately 80 percent • Encouraging patient communication by asking
questions
The message you are verbally giving may be totally •
misinterpreted because of your body language Nonverbal Skills
• Nonverbal skills (body language) include:
Verbal Skills o Facial expressions,
• Verbal skills enable phlebotomists to: o Posture, and
o Introduce themselves, o Eye contact
o Explain the procedure, • Allowing patients to maintain their zone of comfort
o Reassure the patient, and (space) is important in phlebotomy even though you
o Help assure the patient that the procedure must be close to them to collect the sample
is being competently performed
• The tone of your voice and emphasis on certain
words also is important
• Barriers to verbal communication that must be
considered include:
o Physical handicaps such as hearing
impairment;
o Patient emotions; and
o The level of patient education, age, and
language proficiency

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• Keep writing materials beside the phone to record

information such as the location of emergency blood
collections, requests for test results, and numbers for
returning calls.
• Make every attempt to help callers, and if you cannot
help them, transfer them to another person or
department that can. Give callers the number to
which you are transferring them in case the call is
dropped during the transfer.
• Provide accurate and consistent information by
Cultural Diversity keeping current with laboratory policies, looking up
• Diversity in our population includes more than information published in department manuals, or
just the diversity encountered with verbal asking a supervisor.
communication • Speak clearly and make sure you understand what
• In addition to language, culture includes the the caller is asking and that he or she understands
integration of customs, beliefs, religion, and the information you are providing. This is done by
values repeating what the caller has asked and asking the
caller to repeat the information you have given.
• The Joint Commission (JC) has developed
guidelines for health-care organizations to • Goal 2 of the National Patient Safety Goals is to
integrate cultural competence into their facilities improve effectiveness of communication among
caregivers. The goal states that for verbal or
General Cultural Diversity Guidelines for telephone orders or telephone reporting of critical
Phlebotomists test results, the individual giving the order or test
1. Approach all patients with a smile and use a friendly result verifies the complete order or test result by
tone of voice having the person receiving the information record
2. Be alert to patient reactions to your approach and and read back the complete order or test result.
direct your actions to accommodate them. Do not
force your style on them PHLEBOTOMY EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATION
3. Do not stereotype a particular culture; not all people • Structured phlebotomy education programs have been
of same ethnic culture react in the same manner developed by hospitals, accredited colleges, and
4. Remember the amount of personal space varies not technical institutions and are also a part of medical
only among people but also among cultures. laboratory technician and clinical laboratory
Certain cultures are not as welcoming to touching science/medical technology programs.
as we might expect them to be. Other cultures may o The length and format of these programs vary
reach for you while you are talking considerably.
5. Plan to spend additional time explaining procedures • The goal of providing the health-care field with
and patient instructions. Be sure instructions are phlebotomists who are knowledgeable in all aspects of
understood by asking the patient to repeat the phlebotomy is universal.
instructions to you. In some cultures nodding is • The training programs are designed to incorporate a
considered a sign of politeness and not combination of classroom instruction and clinical practice
understanding • Most of them follow guidelines developed by national
6. Above all, show respect for their diversity phlebotomy organizations to ensure the quality of the
program, to meet national accreditation requirements,
Telephone Skills and to prepare graduates for a national certification
• The phlebotomy department frequently acts as a examination
type of switchboard for the rest of the laboratory
because of its location in the central processing
area.
o This is a prime example of the
phlebotomist’s role as a liaison for the
laboratory, and poor telephone skills affect
the image of the laboratory.
• Phlebotomists should have a thorough
understanding of the telephone system regarding:
o Transferring calls,
o Placing calls on hold,
o And paging personnel

To observe the rules of proper telephone etiquette:

• Answer the phone promptly and politely, stating the
name of the department and your name. • A certification obtained from a nationally recognized
• Always check for an emergency before putting professional organization because it serves to enhance
someone on hold, and return to calls that are on hold their position within the health-care field and documents
as soon as possible. This may require returning the the quality of their skills and knowledge
current call after you have collected the required • Some states require phlebotomists to be licensed as is
information. accomplished by passing a national certifying exam or a
state licensure exam

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• Membership in a professional organization enhances the • Many hospitals also support clinics and primary
professionalism of a phlebotomist by providing increased care physician offices to serve patients on an
opportunities for continuing education outpatient basis
• All health-care professionals are expected to participate o This service also increases the
in continuing education (CE) activities phlebotomy workload.
• Certifying organizations and state licensure agencies o Phlebotomists may be scheduled to work
require documentation of CE to maintain certification at one of these areas or patients from
these areas may be referred to the
laboratory for sample collection

Hospitals are classified in different terms such as:

• Community hospitals,
• Teaching hospitals (university-based), and
• Nonprofit and for-profit hospitals

There are hospitals that specialize in a particular type of

patient or illness, such as:
• Children,
• Mental health,
• Rehabilitation, and
• Cancer treatment

HEALTH-CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM

• Phlebotomists should have a basic knowledge of
the various health-care settings in which they may
be employed
o Many phlebotomists are employed by
hospitals
• Other employment settings include:
o Physician office laboratories (POLs),
o Health maintenance organizations
(HMOs),
o Reference laboratories,
o Urgent care centers,
o Nursing homes,
o Home health-care agencies,
o Clinics, and
o Blood donor centers.
• Laboratory testing plays a vital role in the diagnosis
and management of patients in any health-care Hospital Services and Department
setting • Organizational charts are designed to define the
position of each employee with regard to authority,
Hospital Organization responsibility, and accountability
• Hospitals vary in both size and the extent of the
services they provide
o They may range in size from fewer than 50
beds to more than 300 beds
• Smaller hospitals are usually equipped to provide
general surgical and medical procedures and
emergency procedures
• Patients may need to be referred or transferred to a
larger hospital if specialized care is needed
o As the size and specialization of a hospital
increases, so does the need for more
phlebotomists

•
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Nursing Services
• This service deals directly with patient care • Cardiovascular testing
• It consists of: • The phlebotomist is included in this group as part of
o The cardiac care unit (CCU), the clinical laboratory staff
o Central supply, • In addition to patient-care areas, phlebotomists may
o Emergency department (ED), be asked to collect samples from patients who have
o Hospital patient-care units, been transported to a specialized treatment or
o Infection control, testing department.
o Intensive care unit (ICU), • The phlebotomist must be familiar with the location
o Nursery, of each department, the nature of the procedures
o Social services, and performed there, and the safety precautions
o The operating room (OR). pertaining to it
• Health-care team members associated with this
service are: Professional Services Departments
o Registered nurses (RNs), Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging
o Licensed practical nurses (LPNs), • The radiology department uses various forms of
o Certified nursing assistants (CNAs), and radiant energy to diagnose and treat disease
o The unit secretary • Some of the techniques include:
▪ Phlebotomists interact most often o X-rays of teeth and bones,
with this service and, in o Computerized axial tomography (CAT or
decentralized organizations, may CT scan),
be included in it. o Contrast studies using barium sulfate,
Support Services o Cardiac catheterization,
• Support services maintain the hospital o Fluoroscopy,
• Include: o Ultrasound,
o Communications systems, o Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and
o Food service/dietary, o Positron emission tomography (PET scan)
o Housekeeping/environmental services,
o Laundry, RADIOLOGIST- who is a physician, administers diagnostic
o Engineering and maintenance, and procedures and interprets radiographs
o Security RADIOGRAPHER- the allied health-care professional in this
Fiscal Services department
• Fiscal services manage the business aspect of a
hospital Phlebotomists must observe radiation exposure precautions when in
• Included in this service are: this department
o Accounting,
o Admitting, Radiation Therapy
o The business office, • The radiation therapy department uses high-energy
o Credit and collection, x-rays or ionizing radiation to stop the growth of
o Data processing, cancer cells
o Health information management, • RADIATION THERAPY TECHNOLOGISTS-
o Planning, and perform these procedures
o Public relations departments that include • Because radiation therapy may affect the bone
marketing and outreach programs marrow, blood tests are often performed by the
laboratory to monitor the patients.
Radiation exposure precautions should be observed

Nuclear Medicine
• The nuclear medicine department uses the
characteristics of radioactive substances in the
diagnosis and treatment of disease
• RADIOISOTOPES- radioactive materials that emit
rays as they disintegrate, and the rays are
measured on specialized instruments.
• Two types of tests are used:
o In vitro
Professional Services o In vivo
• This service consists of the departments of the • In vitro tests analyze blood and urine samples using
hospital that assist the physician in the diagnosis radioactive materials to detect levels of hormones,
and treatment of disease drugs, and other substances.
• Main departments: • In vivo tests involve administering radioactive
• The clinical laboratory, material to the patient by intravenous (IV) injection
• Radiology/medical imaging, and measuring the emitted rays to examine organs
• Radiation therapy, and evaluate their function.
o Examples of these procedures are:
• Nuclear medicine,
▪ Bone,
• Occupational therapy,
▪ Brain,
• Pharmacy, ▪ Liver, and
• Physical therapy, ▪ Thyroid scans.
• Respiratory therapy, and
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procedures, and additional record-keeping related

to processing of insurance claims
• Therapeutic doses of radioactive material also can
be given to a patient to treat diseases Physicians Office Laboratories (POLs) and Group
• NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGISTS- perform Practices POLs
these procedures under the supervision of a • Progressed from single practitioners doing simple
physician screening tests to large group medical practices
Radiation exposure precautions should be observed employing both phlebotomists and clinical
laboratory personnel authorized to perform tests
Occupational Therapy that are more specialized
• The occupational therapy (OT) department teaches • Group practices may consist of several primary care
techniques that enable patients with physical, physicians or may specialize in a particular medical
mental, or emotional disabilities to function within specialty such as pediatrics or cardiology
their limitations in daily living o They also may be made up of a
• OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS and combination of family practice physicians
TECHNICIANS- provide this instruction and specialists
• Group practices may be associated with a particular
Pharmacy hospital that services their area.
• The pharmacy department dispenses the • Phlebotomists employed in a group practice may be
medications prescribed by physicians responsible for processing and packaging samples
• The phlebotomist is often responsible for the to be sent to the hospital laboratory.
collection of specifically timed samples used to • Other group practices contract with a large
monitor the blood level of certain medications reference laboratory to perform their laboratory
• PHARMACISTS- persons trained to dispense testing and this also requires the phlebotomist to
medications who may be assisted by pharmacy perform sample processing and packaging.
technicians
Health Management Organizations (HMOs)
Physical Therapy • HMOs are managed care group practice centers
• The physical therapy (PT) department provides that provide a large variety of services
treatment to patients who have been disabled as a • These are often available at one location:
result of illness or injury by using procedures o Physicians’ offices,
involving water, heat, massage, ultrasound, and o A clinical laboratory,
exercise. o Radiology,
• PHYSICAL THERAPISTS and PHYSICAL o Physical therapy, and
THERAPY ASSISTANTS- the professionals trained o Outpatient surgery
to provide this therapy • Members are charged a prepaid fee for all services
performed during a designated time period
Respiratory Therapy • They must receive all of their care through services
• Respiratory therapists provide treatment in approved by the HMO
breathing disorders and perform testing to evaluate Phlebotomists are employed as part of the clinical laboratory
lung function staff
• They may also perform the arterial punctures used
to evaluate arterial blood gases Reference Laboratories
• Large, independent reference laboratories contract
Cardiovascular Testing with health-care providers and institutions to
• Cardiac technicians under the supervision of a perform both routine and highly specialized tests
cardiologist evaluate cardiac function using • Phlebotomists are hired to collect samples from
electrocardiograms, stress tests, and imaging patients referred to the reference laboratory
techniques o They may be stationed at the laboratory or
• Patients must be closely monitored for adverse at off-site designated collection facilities
reactions • Phlebotomists also may be assigned to process
samples received in the reference laboratory from
Clinical Laboratory its contracted outside health-care facilities
• The clinical laboratory provides data to the health-
care team to aid in determining the diagnosis, Government and Hospital Clinics
treatment, and prognosis of a patient • Veterans Administration clinics are located
• The phlebotomist must interact with all hospital throughout the country to provide medical care for
professionals in each department and project the military veterans
professional image of the laboratory to the rest of • Veterans receive both primary and secondary care
the hospital staff and the patients at the clinics and this includes the collection of
samples for laboratory testing
OTHER HEALTH-CARE SETTINGS • Hospital-sponsored specialty clinics, such as
• As a result of technological advances and the cancer, urology, and pediatric clinics, provide more
increasing cost of health care, a variety of health- costeffective delivery of health care to more patients
care settings has been created • Increased emphasis on preventive medicine and
• This development has produced additional places of alternative medicine has resulted in the
employment for phlebotomists and, in many establishment of wellness clinics for health
settings, also has expanded their duties to include screening
sample processing, performance of waived test Phlebotomists may be employed in these settings

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Home Health Care

• Cost effectiveness has reduced the length of time KEY POINTS
patients stay in a hospital, and more care is being
performed on an outpatient basis
• The implementation of diagnostic related groups • The duties of a phlebotomist have expanded
(DRGs) by the federal government to control the to include more than just collection of blood
rising costs of Medicare and Medicaid has limited samples.
the length of hospital stays and the number of • Professional characteristics needed by a
diagnostic procedures that can be performed phlebotomist include compassion,
• The DRG system classified patients into diagnostic dependability, honesty, organization, and
categories related to body systems and the appropriate appearance.
illnesses associated with them • The three components of communication are
o Patients are classified based on: verbal, listening, and nonverbal (body
o Primary and secondary diagnoses, language).
o Age, • Barriers to verbal communication include
o Treatment performed, and hearing impairment, emotions, age, education
o Status on discharge level, and language other than English.
• The system originally determined the amount of • Body language includes facial expressions,
money the government will pay for a patient’s care posture, providing a zone of comfort, and eye
and the number of procedures or tests performed contact.
• The DRG system was soon adopted by state health • Cultural diversity affects the interactions
insurers and other health-care insurance companies between a patient and the health-care worker.
o Therefore, the length of a hospital stay, Phlebotomists should adapt their actions to
laboratory tests, and other procedures the reactions of the patient.
must be kept within the specified DRG • Observing correct telephone etiquette by
guidelines or the health-care institution or phlebotomists is essential for maintaining the
the patient must absorb the additional cost professional image of their workplace.
• Because of the decreased time of hospital stays, • Phlebotomists demonstrate competence in
home health care has increased to accommodate their fields by becoming certified.
patients whose conditions are not compatible with • The basic structure of a hospital includes
frequent outpatient visits to caregivers professional, nursing, support and fiscal
• Nurses and other health-care providers, including services, and the many departments
phlebotomists, make scheduled visits to patients contained within these services that
requiring home health care. phlebotomists will encounter.
• Hospitals may contract with long-term care facilities • Phlebotomists may be employed in POLs,
or nursing homes to provide phlebotomists to HMOs, reference laboratories, home health
perform routine daily blood collections care, off-site clinics, and sample collection
facilities.
IN SUMMARY

• The current health-care delivery system

offers a variety of employment opportunities
for phlebotomists
• Phlebotomists must have the motivation to
explore these opportunities and the flexibility
to adapt to them

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Study Questions 11. A phlebotomist working for an organization that performs

1. Which of the following may be an additional duty of highly specialized testing is employed by a:
phlebotomists in today’s health-care system? a. group practice
a. performing patient vital signs b. health maintenance organization
b. transporting samples to the laboratory c. specialty clinic
c. performing dermal punctures d. reference laboratory
d. selecting sample collection equipment
12. The implementation of DRGs has:
2. The primary benefit of hospital decentralization is: a. increased the length of hospital stays
a. increased efficiency b. increased the need for home health care
b. increased training of personnel c. decreased the opportunities for phlebotomists
c. decreased patient complaints d. decreased the need for rehabilitation facilities
d. decreased diagnostic testing
Clinical Situations
3. Which of the following DOES NOT represent a 1. The phlebotomy supervisor at Healthy Hospital
professional phlebotomist? holds a meeting to tell the staff that the phlebotomy
a. attending a continuing education program department is going to be decentralized.
b. organizing requisitions before leaving the laboratory a. How could this affect the working location of the
c. exhibiting overconfidence phlebotomists?
d. volunteering to take on an extra duty b. How might this affect the duties of the
phlebotomists?
4. A phlebotomist who is responding appropriately to cultural c. What is the major benefit for Healthy Hospital of
diversity will: decentralizing phlebotomy?
a. speak in the patient’s native language d. The phlebotomy supervisor will be teaching
b. be able to stereotype patients classes on phlebotomy. Who might be attending the
c. be sensitive to the patient’s reactions classes?
d. quickly examine the patient’s arm
2. The phlebotomy supervisor receives the following
5. Effective communication includes: complaints. State possible causes for the
a. verbal complaints.
b. nonverbal a. A very sick person mistakenly calls the laboratory
c. listening instead of the emergency department and is put on
d. all of the above hold for 10 minutes.
b. The emergency department calls the laboratory
6. All of the following actions make patients feel that you care requesting a STAT blood culture. The phlebotomist
about them EXCEPT: arrives in the emergency department without the
a. smiling at them necessary equipment.
b. introducing yourself c. A patient’s daughter overhears a phlebotomist
c. looking directly at them talking about her mother in the cafeteria.
d. avoiding eye contact d. A patient with limited understanding of English is
given instructions to return to the laboratory the next
7. All of the following are barriers to verbal communication morning for a fasting blood collection. The patient
EXCEPT: shows up drinking a highcarbohydrate energy drink.
a. hand signals
b. hearing impairment
c. using medical jargon
d. non–English-speaking patient

8. Good telephone etiquette includes all of the following

EXCEPT:
a. checking for an emergency before putting someone on
hold
b. stating your name and department when answering the
phone
c. repeating a request back to the caller before hanging up
d. immediately transferring a call to the correct department

9. A phlebotomist who takes an examination prepared by a

national phlebotomy agency is seeking:
a. continuing education
b. certification
c. accreditation
d. membership

10. The hospital department that is responsible for sterile

supplies is:
a. housekeeping
b. central supply
c. engineering
d. sterilization

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