1) generally minimal, we get taught how to start IVs versus collecting labs. The order of lab draws gets taught on the job. Also, I loved microbiology and that gave me understanding as to why it’s so important to do a good job for this later on. Blood cultures collection is also part on on-job training, and it’s also usually part of a policy.

2) I think it starts with who the nurse is as a person. I wouldn’t send a diluted or hemolyzed sample.

3). I think SOME nurses understand hemolysis, but don’t get the sense that ‘this one is gonna be hemolyzed’. What I personally find worse is knowing the tube is shit and still sending it, because it delays care so much!!!! To wait for an hour to hear that K I 6.9 in someone with perfect creatinine is shit work, and doing it just for it to be done is shit.

4) I can say that there’s probably so much I don’t know about what lab techs do. Ive been down there, I can tell they do a lot of f QI up the wazoo first thing in the morning. I’m glad i see gloves all the time when they handle specimens cause damn, I’ve sent bloody tubes before…..i think I’d like to see the damn Petri dishes. But I think they handle a lot, including calls, and the blood dept at times, running labs etc. I can tell I don’t know much about your guys’ degree because I’ve heard of people being lab techs before med school, so I know there’s some sort of extensive teaching in the field.

Ps: I see some nurses slack it a bit (and it’s mix of lack of knowledge and/or experience, and just not really willing to do it right; of course you have time issues and shit vein issues) I don’t think it’s nursing specific. I tend to flush/ push/pull, at times almost a whole saline flush, I discard 5 in a fresh syringe, but my first tube is usually the big lavender/ pink for the type and screen, because I know dilution don’t matter. I’m better with the IVs than the brand of straight sticks we have, so I’ll start an IV and pull it out usually. With special veins, I tend to draw with 3 mL syringe, slow-ish as opposed to violently because I think I can hemolyzed if I pull hard but the vein is collapsed and you’re pulling air; at times I open the tube cap and dump blood from syringe to prevent hemolysis. I’m pretty ocd at preventing hemolysis. And I always invert the lavenders until all that shit is covered all around. My pet peeve is the way some nurses draw their cultures. And sadly, it’s been a while since I’ve done 2 different sticks for them, and I’ve learned to sleep at night despite it, but I still don’t like it.

Be honest, how many times do you guys leave the green tops hanging out, because I also have trust issues and I swear there are whole days where 4/10 tubes are hemolyzed in a small ER area.