Global

Pre-analytical quality: Specimen collection, labelling and transport

A ready-made course you customise for your organisation, with a live session deck and two surveys. You only add the 18 details that are specific to your organisation.

See the live deckSee the full outline
Try the coursePreview the survey
Length
40 min
Lessons
6 lessons
Frequency
At induction and before taking samples unsupervised
Last reviewed
21 Oct 2026
Course preview
Interactive course

Scenarios, sorting activities and quizzes with feedback on every answer.

What's included

Three pieces that work together

Copy once, get everything. Learners prepare on their own, you answer questions live, and the surveys tell you what stuck.

Self-paced course

Short lessons with real workplace scenarios, not walls of text.

  • 6 lessons, about 40 minutes
  • 2 video slots (you add the videos)
  • Process, flashcards, step-by-step, sorting activity and quizzes

Live session deck

An AhaSlides presentation to run after the course, in person or online.

  • 11 slides
  • Word cloud slides
  • A closing slide for your contacts

Two surveys

Find out what landed, and whether people use it on the job.

  • Post-course feedback, about 2 minutes
  • 30-day check-in
  • Anonymous by default
  • Results feed your next refresher

Learning objectives

At the end of this course, learners can

Each objective and the lesson that covers it.

IDObjectiveSourceWhere it's covered
TO 147.0Achieve ≥ 80% on the final assessment-Whole course
LO 147.1.1Identify the patient positively and label every sample at the point of collection so the laboratory accepts it + your infoWHO phlebotomy guidelines 2010Lesson 1: Patient identification and labelling
LO 147.2.1Fill tubes in the correct order of draw and mix them correctly + your infoWHO phlebotomy guidelines 2010Lesson 2: Order of draw
LO 147.3.1Prevent haemolysis and the other common reasons a sample is rejected + your infoWHO phlebotomy guidelines 2010Lesson 3: Haemolysis and other rejection causes
LO 147.4.1Take blood cultures with the right volume and without contaminationCDC blood culture contamination fact sheet 2022; UK SMI S 12Lesson 4: Blood cultures without contamination
LO 147.5.1Package, transport and store samples safely and on time + your infoWHO phlebotomy guidelines 2010; WHO transport guidance 2025-2026; UK SMI S 12Lesson 5: Transport and storage

Your part: what a template can't do for you

  • Your workplace details: fill in the 18 highlighted fields so the course describes your own policies, contacts and locations.
  • Records: record completion in your own LMS or record system.

Course outline

6 lessons, about 40 minutes

Minutes per lesson are an estimate, shared out by page count.

ContentInteractiveVideoYou customise
1

Patient identification and labelling

3 pages

8 min
Before you beginNoteYour infoList
Most lab errors happen before the labTextFlashcardsNoteYour infoQuiz
Identify, collect, label, recheckStep-by-stepYour infoNoteYour infoSorting activityQuiz
2

Order of draw

2 pages

6 min
Why the order mattersTextProcessNoteYour infoMatching quiz
Filling and mixingAccordionScenarioQuiz
3

Haemolysis and other rejection causes

3 pages

8 min
What causes haemolysisTextFlashcardsMulti-select quiz
The tourniquet, the site and the dripStep-by-stepYour infoImageQuiz
Other reasons samples get rejectedTextSorting activityNoteYour info
4

Blood cultures without contamination

3 pages

8 min
Why contamination mattersTextKey factNoteYour infoQuiz
Volume is the biggest factorTextTabsYour infoNote
A clean collection, step by stepProcessYour infoScenarioQuizNote
5

Transport and storage

2 pages

5 min
Pack it safelyTextProcessYour infoImageQuiz
Time and temperatureTextTimelineYour infoYour infoQuiz
6

Final assessment

2 pages

5 min
Final assessmentTextQuiz
CompletionKey factListNoteYour infoButtonYour info

Live deck and surveys

11 slides to run live, two surveys to close the loop

Pink slides are interactive. Both surveys are anonymous; pink questions are written for this course.

Title + agenda (+ notesTemplate only, not clinical advice; every case today is fictional; follow your laboratory's rules.")
Word cloudOne word: why does a sample get sent back?
Content · customiseOur rejection figures this quarter {{QUALITY_DATA_SOURCE}} and the three big problems: haemolysis, contamination, labelling [MED-17-V01]
Correct orderPut the tubes in our order of draw" - Blood culture → Citrate → Serum gel → Heparin → EDTA → Fluoride oxalate (replace with {{ORDER_OF_DRAW_CHART}}) [MED-17-V07]
PickPick answer (spot the error, image of a fictional labelled tube, notes say "fictional"): "What is wrong with this sample?" - Surname only on the label ✔ / Nothing / The bag is the wrong colour / The time is written in 24-hour format [MED-17-V03]
CategoriseHaemolysis risk / Safe practice - forcing the plunger (Haemolysis risk) · wet alcohol (Haemolysis risk) · gentle inversion (Safe practice) · underfilled citrate tube (Haemolysis risk) · tourniquet off when blood flows (Safe practice) [MED-17-V12] [MED-17-V14]
True or falseTaking blood cultures from an existing cannula is fine if you flush it first." - False ✔ [MED-17-V27]
Pick answerOnly enough blood for one bottle. Which first?" - Aerobic ✔ / Anaerobic / Either / Neither [MED-17-V25]
Content + poll · customiseWhere does a blood culture go out of hours?" - I know / Not sure / We have no route; reveal {{OUT_OF_HOURS_SAMPLE_ROUTE}}
Scales 1-5How confident are you to send a sample the lab will accept first time?
ClosingClosing - {{SURVEY_URL}}, {{COURSE_URL}}, {{EDUCATOR_CONTACT}}, {{LAB_CONTACT}}
Post-course feedback: 11 questions, about 2 min
  1. Overall rating 5 stars
  2. Relevant, realistic, right length, helpful activities agree/disagree grid
  3. What was most useful? multi-select
  4. Confidence before this course, and now 1-5 scale
  5. How often do these happen in your area? grid
  6. Since the course, have you had a sample rejected? multiple choice
  7. What would help most? multiple choice
  8. I feel able to stop and re-take a sample, or query a label, even when the ward is busy. 1-5 scale
  9. One thing we should change or add open text
  10. Would you recommend this course? NPS
30-day check-in
  1. Have you used what you learned since the course? multiple choice
  2. How confident are you today? Compare with day 1 1-5 scale
  3. Do you know where to find our laboratory's order of draw chart and sample rejection list? yes / no / not sure
  4. A moment where the training helped, or where you weren't sure open text
  5. Which topics should the next refresher focus on? ranking

Results show whether people use the training on the job, not just whether they finished it.

Make it yours

18 fields to fill in, and you're ready

Everything else is done. These are the details only your organisation knows; each one is highlighted inside the course.

  • How and by whom practical venepuncture and blood culture skill is assessed{{PHLEBOTOMY_COMPETENCY_PROCESS}}
  • How to identify patients who cannot state their name{{PATIENT_ID_POLICY}}
  • The laboratory's minimum identifiers and label rules{{SAMPLE_LABELLING_RULES}}
  • Where local rejection and contamination figures come from{{QUALITY_DATA_SOURCE}}
  • The laboratory's own tube chart and colours{{ORDER_OF_DRAW_CHART}}
  • Who may sample from central lines and how{{LINE_SAMPLING_PROTOCOL}}
Show all 18 fields
  • The laboratory's rejection list and what to do next{{SAMPLE_REJECTION_CRITERIA}}
  • Number of sets, one or two sites, paediatric volumes, bottle fill marks{{BLOOD_CULTURE_POLICY}}
  • The skin and bottle-top antiseptic products your laboratory approves{{SKIN_ANTISEPTIC}}
  • Local blood spill and sharps procedure{{SPILL_PROCEDURE}}
  • Times, temperatures, ice and pneumatic tube rules per test{{TRANSPORT_AND_STORAGE_TABLE}}
  • Where samples go when the lab or porters are closed{{OUT_OF_HOURS_SAMPLE_ROUTE}}
  • Lab contact{{LAB_CONTACT}}
  • Educator contact{{EDUCATOR_CONTACT}}
  • Course URL{{COURSE_URL}}
  • LMS or record system{{LMS_OR_RECORD_SYSTEM}}
  • Survey URL{{SURVEY_URL}}
  • Live session URL{{LIVE_SESSION_URL}}

FAQ

Common questions

Can I run pre-analytical quality: Specimen collection, labelling and transport training online?

Yes. The course is self-paced and online, and the live deck lets you add a live session in the room or online.

How often is this training needed?

At induction and before taking samples unsupervised, then a regular update at the interval your organisation or laboratory sets (organisation policy).

Who needs this training?

Phlebotomists, ward and clinic nurses, healthcare assistants and doctors who take blood samples, laboratory assistants and sample reception staff, porters who carry samples.

What records should I keep?

Record completion in your own LMS or record system, so you can show who finished the course and when.

Can I edit the content?

Yes, everything. Change the wording, swap scenarios for ones from your workplace, add your logo, or remove parts that don't apply.

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Last reviewed: 21 October 2026Templates are a starting point, not legal advice.

Ready to run it?

Open the live deck to see how the session runs alongside the course and both surveys.

See the live deck