MED MISC10- Phlebotomy NCCT latest 2022.
1. Which of the following should be avoided as a form of patient identification?
A. insurance number
B. social security
number
C. date of birth
D. full name
insurance number
Rationale
An insurance number is not a common means of positive patient identification
(entire families can share the same insurance policy number). Patients must be
positively identified for medical services, whether they have insurance or not.
Insurance information is necessary for billing purposes. The only true unique
identifier listed among these choices is the social security number. Patient name
and date of birth are also commonly used to confirm identification.
2. Name the two most used patient identifiers.
A. Bed number/Physicians name
B. Medical record number/date of
birth
C. Patient's name / date of birth
D. Patient's name/Physicians name
Patient's name / date of birth
Rationale
Name and DOB are most often used as positive patient identifiers as they are easily
documented and work for inpatients or outpatients. Bed numbers should never be
used as identifiers for inpatients or outpatients, nor should physician name
associations. Medical record numbers are valuable for inpatients, with name and
DOB being used most often.
,MED MISC10- Phlebotomy NCCT latest 2022.
3. Prior to any type of inpatient specimen collection, a phlebotomist must
correctly verify their patient’s identity by using which two-step procedure?
A. Check ID bracelet and IV bag.
B. Check ID bracelet, and ask patient to verbally confirm their
identity
C. Check ID bracelet and foot bed chart
D. Check foot bed chart, and ask patient to verbally confirm their
identity
Check ID bracelet, and ask patient to verbally confirm their identity
Rationale
The correct answer is to check the ID bracelet and ask the patient to verbally
confirm his/her identity. Patients may not have foot bed charts or IV bags, and the
goal is to select the BEST answer of all choices. If a patient has both an ID bracelet
and can verify his/her own identity, it is ideal.
4. Using the guidelines for any method of venipuncture, which of the following
actions should the medical assistant perform directly after confirming patient
identity?
A. Assemble the appropriate equipment and select the proper evacuated
tubes for test to be performed
B. Review the requirements for collecting and handling the blood specimen
as ordered by the physician
C. Apply the tourniquet and thoroughly palpate the selected vein
D. Position the patient’s arm and cleanse the site with an antiseptic wipe
Review the requirements for collecting and handling the blood specimen
as ordered by the physician
Rationale
,MED MISC10- Phlebotomy NCCT latest 2022.
To ensure accuracy and quality, it is important to anticipate your needs before
beginning the actual venipuncture (i.e. tube color/size, minimum acceptable blood
volume, whether or not the specimen needs to be placed on ice). Therefore, the
medical assistant would identify the patient, then review the requirements for
collecting and handling the blood specimen as ordered by the physician. Next,
assemble the appropriate equipment and select the proper evacuated tubes for test
to be performed. Then, apply the tourniquet and thoroughly palpate the selected
vein.
Finally, position the patient’s arm and cleanse the site with an antiseptic wipe, then
proceed with the venipuncture protocol.
5. Which of the following is the proper way to identify a patient prior to
performing a venipuncture?
A. Ask the patient if he/she is a certain patient (i.e. "Are you Steven
Smith?").
B. Verify the patient’s order against the name on the chart.
C. Ask the nurse what the patient’s name is.
D. Ask the patient to state his/her full name and DOB and compare to
the chart.
Ask the patient to state his/her full name and DOB and compare to the
chart.
Rationale
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).
6. A medical assistant has active symptoms of the common cold. Under which of
the following conditions may he perform venipuncture?
A. The medical assistant may not perform venipuncture with an active cold.
B. The medical assistant may perform venipuncture provided the patient is
wearing a mask.
, MED MISC10- Phlebotomy NCCT latest 2022.
C. The medical assistant may perform venipuncture provided he is wearing a
mask and afebrile.
D. The medical assistant may perform routine venipuncture as usual
The medical assistant may perform venipuncture provided he is wearing a
mask and afebrile.
Rationale
It is not uncommon for people to be able to work with the common cold. However, it
is important for medical personnel to use good judgment and not transmit diseases
to their patients. Medical personnel should take precautions and handle patient
contact in a responsible manner. They should not have patient contact if they are
febrile, since that is when colds are highly contagious. In this instance, the medical
assistant may perform venipuncture provided he/she is wearing a mask and
afebrile. The medical assistant should wear the mask to keep from transmitting the
cold via coughing or sneezing on a patient.
7. The appropriate needle gauge to use for most venipuncture collections is
A. 15.
B. 18.
C. 21.
D. 24.
21.
Rationale
The 21 gauge needle is long enough and thin enough to access most veins and the
internal diameter (bore size) is wide enough to permit blood collection with little
concern about mechanical hemolysis when using evacuated tubes. Butterfly
collection sets (wing sets) typically use needles of a higher gauge, and blood
donation centers typically use needles of a lower gauge. Remember, the higher the
gauge, the smaller the bore (opening).
1. Which of the following should be avoided as a form of patient identification?
A. insurance number
B. social security
number
C. date of birth
D. full name
insurance number
Rationale
An insurance number is not a common means of positive patient identification
(entire families can share the same insurance policy number). Patients must be
positively identified for medical services, whether they have insurance or not.
Insurance information is necessary for billing purposes. The only true unique
identifier listed among these choices is the social security number. Patient name
and date of birth are also commonly used to confirm identification.
2. Name the two most used patient identifiers.
A. Bed number/Physicians name
B. Medical record number/date of
birth
C. Patient's name / date of birth
D. Patient's name/Physicians name
Patient's name / date of birth
Rationale
Name and DOB are most often used as positive patient identifiers as they are easily
documented and work for inpatients or outpatients. Bed numbers should never be
used as identifiers for inpatients or outpatients, nor should physician name
associations. Medical record numbers are valuable for inpatients, with name and
DOB being used most often.
,MED MISC10- Phlebotomy NCCT latest 2022.
3. Prior to any type of inpatient specimen collection, a phlebotomist must
correctly verify their patient’s identity by using which two-step procedure?
A. Check ID bracelet and IV bag.
B. Check ID bracelet, and ask patient to verbally confirm their
identity
C. Check ID bracelet and foot bed chart
D. Check foot bed chart, and ask patient to verbally confirm their
identity
Check ID bracelet, and ask patient to verbally confirm their identity
Rationale
The correct answer is to check the ID bracelet and ask the patient to verbally
confirm his/her identity. Patients may not have foot bed charts or IV bags, and the
goal is to select the BEST answer of all choices. If a patient has both an ID bracelet
and can verify his/her own identity, it is ideal.
4. Using the guidelines for any method of venipuncture, which of the following
actions should the medical assistant perform directly after confirming patient
identity?
A. Assemble the appropriate equipment and select the proper evacuated
tubes for test to be performed
B. Review the requirements for collecting and handling the blood specimen
as ordered by the physician
C. Apply the tourniquet and thoroughly palpate the selected vein
D. Position the patient’s arm and cleanse the site with an antiseptic wipe
Review the requirements for collecting and handling the blood specimen
as ordered by the physician
Rationale
,MED MISC10- Phlebotomy NCCT latest 2022.
To ensure accuracy and quality, it is important to anticipate your needs before
beginning the actual venipuncture (i.e. tube color/size, minimum acceptable blood
volume, whether or not the specimen needs to be placed on ice). Therefore, the
medical assistant would identify the patient, then review the requirements for
collecting and handling the blood specimen as ordered by the physician. Next,
assemble the appropriate equipment and select the proper evacuated tubes for test
to be performed. Then, apply the tourniquet and thoroughly palpate the selected
vein.
Finally, position the patient’s arm and cleanse the site with an antiseptic wipe, then
proceed with the venipuncture protocol.
5. Which of the following is the proper way to identify a patient prior to
performing a venipuncture?
A. Ask the patient if he/she is a certain patient (i.e. "Are you Steven
Smith?").
B. Verify the patient’s order against the name on the chart.
C. Ask the nurse what the patient’s name is.
D. Ask the patient to state his/her full name and DOB and compare to
the chart.
Ask the patient to state his/her full name and DOB and compare to the
chart.
Rationale
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).
6. A medical assistant has active symptoms of the common cold. Under which of
the following conditions may he perform venipuncture?
A. The medical assistant may not perform venipuncture with an active cold.
B. The medical assistant may perform venipuncture provided the patient is
wearing a mask.
, MED MISC10- Phlebotomy NCCT latest 2022.
C. The medical assistant may perform venipuncture provided he is wearing a
mask and afebrile.
D. The medical assistant may perform routine venipuncture as usual
The medical assistant may perform venipuncture provided he is wearing a
mask and afebrile.
Rationale
It is not uncommon for people to be able to work with the common cold. However, it
is important for medical personnel to use good judgment and not transmit diseases
to their patients. Medical personnel should take precautions and handle patient
contact in a responsible manner. They should not have patient contact if they are
febrile, since that is when colds are highly contagious. In this instance, the medical
assistant may perform venipuncture provided he/she is wearing a mask and
afebrile. The medical assistant should wear the mask to keep from transmitting the
cold via coughing or sneezing on a patient.
7. The appropriate needle gauge to use for most venipuncture collections is
A. 15.
B. 18.
C. 21.
D. 24.
21.
Rationale
The 21 gauge needle is long enough and thin enough to access most veins and the
internal diameter (bore size) is wide enough to permit blood collection with little
concern about mechanical hemolysis when using evacuated tubes. Butterfly
collection sets (wing sets) typically use needles of a higher gauge, and blood
donation centers typically use needles of a lower gauge. Remember, the higher the
gauge, the smaller the bore (opening).
