Obtaining Blood Samples
34%of exam
Patient IDSite ChoiceOrder of DrawVenipunctureCapillary Collection
Specimen Collection and Processing
15%of exam
Specimen IntegritySpecial HandlingBlood CulturesPOCTQuality Assurance
Time and Organization
10%of exam
OrdersPrioritiesTimed TestsWorkflowEscalation
Professional Communications
5.5%of exam
Professional SpeechTelephonePatient InstructionsStaffFamilies
Clerical Skills and Duties
5.5%of exam
Data EntryReportsNotationsInventoryComputer Skills
Safety Standards
15%of exam
Standard PrecautionsSDSSharpsSyncopeExposure
Legal and Ethical Practice
10%of exam
ConsentConfidentialityScopeLiabilityProfessional Conduct
Terminology, Anatomy, Physiology
5%of exam
VeinsArteriesSerumPlasmaWord Parts
Quick Facts
- Credential
- AMT RPT
- Exam items
- 200 questions
- Testing time
- 2.5 hours
- Passing score
- 70 scaled
- Largest area
- Blood samples: 34%
- Delivery
- Pearson VUE CBT
- Retake wait
- 45 days
- Maximum attempts
- Four total
ID First
Identify before you puncture.
Two identifiersRequisition match
Venous vs Arterial
Venous
- Returns toward heart
- Routine phlebotomy source
Arterial
- Carries from heart
- Different collection procedure
Do not treat sources alike
Collection Readiness
- Order received→Verify requisition(Tests and timing)
- Patient present→Verify identifiers(Before puncture)
- Special test→Check requirements(Timing or temperature)
- Multiple tubes→Use draw sequence(Limit carryover)
- Difficult site→Assess alternatives(Follow policy)
- Collection complete→Provide site care(Observe patient)
- At patient→Label specimen(Per protocol)
- Before departure→Check transport(Protect integrity)
Patient and Labels
- Two identifiers
- Verify before collection
- Requisition
- Confirm ordered testing
- Container selection
- Match test requirements
- Bedside label
- Label by patient
- Blood bank label
- Follow strict protocol
- Mismatch
- Stop and resolve
Label vs Correct
Labeling
- Identify collected specimen
- Use required protocol
Correction
- Do not improvise
- Escalate discrepancies
Identity errors need resolution
Venipuncture Basics
- Patient preparation
- Explain before procedure
- Site selection
- Assess before puncture
- Venipuncture
- Collect venous blood
- Arterial blood
- Different collection source
- Collection device
- Use correctly
- Post-puncture care
- Protect puncture site
Draw Sequence
- Sequence purpose
- Limit additive carryover
- Blood cultures
- Protect sterility first
- Citrate specimen
- Before serum tubes
- Serum specimen
- Before heparin tubes
- Heparin specimen
- Before EDTA tubes
- EDTA specimen
- Before fluoride tubes
Capillary and Integrity
- Capillary puncture
- Small-volume collection
- Infant heel puncture
- Age-specific technique
- Gentle mixing
- Protect specimen quality
- Hemolysis
- Damaged red cells
- Specimen integrity
- Represents the patient
- Tube identification
- Meet protocol requirements
Integrity Chain
Right patient, tube, label, handling.
CollectionTransport
Special Processing
- Special requirements
- Time, temperature, handling
- Blood culture
- Aseptic collection
- Non-blood specimen
- Preserve integrity
- Specimen delivery
- Use correct department
- Shipping
- Process for transport
- POCT specimen
- Support bedside testing
Reschedule vs Retake
Reschedule
- Before appointment change
- Contact Pearson VUE
Retake
- After failed examination
- Wait 45 days
Different AMT processes
Workflow and Timing
- Physician order
- Read before collection
- Collection priority
- Set ordered sequence
- Tolerance test
- Schedule intervals
- Drug monitoring
- Honor collection time
- Workflow path
- Follow laboratory flow
- Supervisor referral
- Escalate problems
Professional Communication
- Professional communication
- Patient, family, staff
- Telephone etiquette
- Identify and document
- Special instructions
- Explain requirements clearly
- Patient questions
- Respond professionally
- Family communication
- Maintain privacy
- Staff handoff
- Share needed information
Clerical Duties
- Laboratory reports
- File correctly
- Collection data
- Enter and verify
- Special notation
- Record accurately
- Data retrieval
- Use approved sources
- Inventory
- Restock needed supplies
- Computer skills
- Use authorized systems
Patient Event
Stop, protect, report, then document.
SyncopeNerve pain
Safety vs Ethics
Safety
- Prevent exposure and injury
- Use precautions
Ethics
- Protect rights and privacy
- Obtain consent
Both guide each draw
Incident and Routing
- Patient feels faint→Stop collection(Prevent injury)
- Nerve-pain report→Remove needle(Escalate promptly)
- Hematoma appears→Stop draw(Provide site care)
- Special specimen→Use handling instructions(Time or temperature)
- Culture ordered→Use aseptic technique(Protect sterility)
- Timed order→Record actual time(Honor interval)
- Data discrepancy→Hold specimen(Resolve before release)
- Problem exceeds scope→Refer supervisor(Document appropriately)
Safety Controls
- Standard precautions
- Apply to blood
- SDS
- Chemical hazard information
- Hazard communication
- Know workplace hazards
- Sharps safety
- Prevent needlestick injuries
- Isolation technique
- Limit infection spread
- Environmental safety
- Maintain safe facilities
Complications and Response
- Syncope
- Fainting risk
- Nausea
- Protect and report
- Convulsion
- Get immediate help
- Nerve injury
- Stop collection
- Accidental artery
- Follow incident protocol
- Hematoma
- Blood in tissue
Legal and Ethical
- Consent
- Obtain before procedure
- Liability
- Practice within standards
- Professional conduct
- Ethical legal behavior
- Confidentiality
- Protect patient information
- Scope
- Perform authorized duties
- Documentation
- Record care accurately
Serum vs Plasma
Serum
- Collected after clotting
- No fibrinogen remaining
Plasma
- Collected with anticoagulant
- Retains clotting factors
Match specimen to test
Anatomy Basics
- Vein
- Returns blood heartward
- Artery
- Carries blood from heart
- Capillary
- Links smallest vessels
- Serum
- Fluid after clotting
- Plasma
- Fluid with clotting factors
- Hemostasis
- Process stopping blood loss
Common Traps
Scaled ≠ Percentage
70 is scaled ≠ Not raw percent
Outline ≠ Live Questions
Review competencies ≠ Never memorize recalls
Retake ≠ Partial Test
Retake entire examination ≠ Review all weak areas
Tube Color ≠ Universal
Follow facility procedure ≠ Match additive requirements
Fainting ≠ Continue
Stop collection safely ≠ Protect patient first
Last Minute
- 1.Start with patient identifiers
- 2.Read tests and timing
- 3.Select correct container
- 4.Use correct draw sequence
- 5.Label per protocol
- 6.Protect specimen integrity
- 7.Escalate patient complications
- 8.Use standard precautions
- 9.Honor consent and privacy
- 10.Review all eight work areas
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