NCCT Phlebotomy

What is the first step in performing a venipuncture? - ANSWER identify the patient To prevent error and maintain a culture of safety, at least 2 identifiers (ex. full name and date of birth) must be verified prior to performing a procedure. What is the proper way to identify a patient prior to performing a venipuncture? - ANSWER Ask the patient to state his/her full name and DOB and compare to the chart. Before a venipuncture, the medical assistant should ask the patient to state his/her full name and DOB (comparing what is stated to what is written in the chart or on a wrist band patient identifier). This minimizes the risk for mis-identification errors because it cross-checks what the patient says against written documentation. This provides a verified identity so that all tubes collected will be associated with the correct patient (provided the medical assistant labels them properly).