Patient Safety Protocols Flashcards

Under The Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals, which of the following is NOT an acceptable patient identifier before specimen collection?

Answer: Room number

Room numbers change and are not linked to the person, so they cannot serve as an identifier.

A routine chemistry tube arrives in the lab with no patient label. What is the most appropriate action?

Answer: Reject the specimen and request recollection

Unlabeled replaceable specimens must be rejected and recollected to prevent misidentification errors.

When should blood specimen tubes be labeled during a venipuncture?

Answer: At the bedside, in the patient's presence, immediately after collection

Labeling at the bedside right after collection with the patient present minimizes mislabeling risk.

An inpatient scheduled for a blood draw has no identification wristband. What should the phlebotomist do?

Answer: Have the patient's nurse apply an ID band before collecting

Hospitalized patients must have an attached ID band verified before collection, which the nursing staff is responsible for applying.

When a technologist phones a critical value to a nurse, which step is required to confirm accurate communication?

Answer: Having the nurse read back the result

Read-back by the receiver verifies the critical result was heard and recorded correctly.

A blood bank sample's label shows a patient last name spelled with one letter different from the requisition. What is the correct action?

Answer: Reject the sample and request a new properly labeled specimen

Blood bank requires exact identifier matching, and any discrepancy requires recollection to prevent ABO-incompatible transfusion.

Two patients with the same last name are on the same unit. What is the best safeguard during specimen collection?

Answer: Use name-alert flags and confirm a second identifier such as date of birth

Name-alert systems plus a second unique identifier prevent sound-alike patient mix-ups.