Phlebotomy Program Introduction and Clinical Laboratory Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering phlebotomy history, professional duties, certification tiers, laboratory departments, regulatory agencies, and documentation standards.

William Harvey

The 17th-century scientist who discovered the circulation of blood.

Barber-surgeons

Historical practitioners who performed bloodletting and leeching; represented by the red on a barber pole which symbolized the blood of the patient.

Bleeding Bowl

A historical vessel used during bloodletting procedures to collect blood from a patient.

Venipuncture

A phlebotomy method of blood collection performed via a needle inserted directly into a vein.

Capillary Puncture

A phlebotomy method of blood collection performed via a lancet puncture of the skin, also referred to as dermapuncture.

Limited Phlebotomy Technician (LPT)

A phlebotomist certified and authorized to perform skin puncture blood collection only.

Certified Phlebotomy Technician I (CPT I)

A phlebotomist authorized to perform both skin puncture and venipuncture blood collection.

Certified Phlebotomy Technician II (CPT II)

A phlebotomist authorized to perform skin puncture, venipuncture, and arterial puncture blood collection.

Certification

A recognition document granted by an agency upon completion of defined academic and training requirements and attainment of a satisfactory score on a comprehensive examination.

Licensure

An official document or permit granted by a state agency required by law, necessitating specific education, experience, and passing an examination.

Reciprocity

A process by which one state recognizes the professional licensure granted to a practitioner by another state.

Continuing Education (CE)

Educational instruction designed to update knowledge and skills; phlebotomists must complete three (3) continuing education hours every year to renew state licensure.

Professionalism

The conduct and qualities that characterize a professional person engaged or qualified in a profession.

Self Confidence

Trust in one's own personal judgment, which directly influences how others perceive them.

Integrity

A personal feeling of wholeness derived from honesty and consistency of character, such as washing hands between patients.

Compassion

Being sympathetic and sensitive to a person's needs while maintaining a genuine desire to help them.

Ethics

The moral duty to determine the difference between right and wrong, where the primary objective is always safeguarding the patient's welfare.

Accountability

The state of being responsible for one's own actions.

Scope of Practice

Working strictly within the defined limits of one's training and credentials.

Empathy

The ability to understand and share the feelings of another person.

Discretion

The exercise of good judgment and prudence in speech and action.

Confidentiality

The obligation to safeguard patient privacy by keeping all health and personal information private, as enforced by ethical standards and laws.

Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) / Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS)

A laboratory professional who directs staff, maintains Quality Assurance standards, and completes a 4-year medical technology program, a 1-year internship, and a board exam.

Clinical / Medical Laboratory Technician (CLT / MLT)

A laboratory professional with 2 years of training in a medical lab program who tests blood, urine, and lymph, reports abnormal values, and trains new employees.

Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLA)

An individual with phlebotomy training skilled in registering patients, collecting, transporting, processing, and determining specimen suitability, as well as making slides and preparing reagents.

Chemistry Department

The largest and highly automated clinical laboratory department that detects and measures chemical substances (e.g., glucose, electrolytes, lipid profiles) in body fluids.

Hematology Department

The clinical laboratory department that discovers, identifies, and monitors diseases in blood and blood-forming tissues (e.g., Complete Blood Count [CBC], Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate [ESR]).

Coagulation Department

The clinical laboratory department that discovers, identifies, and monitors defects in the blood-clotting mechanism (e.g., Prothrombin Time [PT], Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time [APTT]).

Serology / Immunology Department

The clinical laboratory division where serology tests evaluate serum antigen-antibody responses to infections and immunology tests identify immune system disorders.

Urinalysis (UA)

A diagnostic routine evaluating urine through three components: physical appearance, chemical testing (dipstick), and microscopic examination.

Microbiology Department

The clinical laboratory department that analyzes specimens for the presence of pathogenic microorganisms using tests such as Culture and Sensitivity (C&S).

Blood Bank

The clinical laboratory section responsible for blood typing, antigen/antibody identification, and compatibility testing of donor blood before transfusions.

Histology

The surgical and anatomical pathology department that evaluates tissue samples from biopsies or frozen sections.

Cytology

The surgical and anatomical pathology department that identifies, counts, and studies cells to diagnose malignant and premalignant conditions.

Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)

A globally recognized organization (formerly NCCLS) composed of volunteer representatives that establishes gold-standard procedural guidelines for clinical laboratories.

College of American Pathologists (CAP)

An organization that provides laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing, comparing lab results across the country to enforce high quality standards.

The Joint Commission (TJC)

An independent accrediting agency for hospitals and nursing homes (formerly JCAHO) that inspects facilities every two (2) years and enforces CLSI standards.

Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA)

Federal legislation passed by Congress regulating all clinical laboratories to ensure test quality via rules on QC, QA, proficiency testing, record keeping, and personnel qualifications.

Military Time (24-Hour Clock)

A 4-digit documentation format used in healthcare to prevent errors, where the first two digits indicate the hour and the last two digits indicate the minutes.

Minimum Specimen Labeling Information

Mandatory details required on every collected tube: Patient's Full Name, Date of Birth (DOB), Date and Time of Collection (military time), and Phlebotomist Initials.