Phil the New Phlebotomy Tech has entered his patients’ room. Phil knows the first step in the phlebotomy procedure is to identify his patient. He greets and identifies his patient by saying “Hi, I’m Phil the New Phlebotomy Tech; I’m here to draw a little blood. Are you Mrs. Jane Doe?” What (if anything) has Phil done wrong?
Explanation
Answer: A - To verify the identity of his patient, Phil should allow the patient to say her name. Saying the patient name, before the patient does, risks misidentification. The patient may nod in agreement, to Phil’s’ question, not because she is Mrs. Jane Doe, but because she is hearing-impaired. On the other hand, she may answer that she is indeed Mrs. Jane Doe, but this may not be reliable, if she is not oriented to her name. Allowing the patient to say their full name and birth date, while comparing the answer to the hospital ID band, is the correct identification process and will help avoid identification mistakes.
