Introduction

• Begin by washing your hands
• Introduce yourself, explain that you need to take some blood and gain verbal consent
• Check the patient's name and date of birth against her wrist band and notes
• Ask if she has any significant past medical history, clotting disorders or transmissible blood diseases

• Ensure you have kit including tourniquet, green venflon, syringe with 5ml saline, cannula dressing, alcohol wipe, sharps bin
• Wash your hands
• Wear an apron, eye protection and gloves
• Firmly tie the tourniquet around the arm (if a mannequin stating this may suffice)
• Palpate the antecubital fossa or given area for a vein
• Clean the area with an alcohol wipe and allow time to dry
• Open the “wings” of the cannula
• Ensure that the bevel (the eye) of the needle is pointing upwards
• Hand position: middle finger on the right wing, index finger on the injection port, thumb at the end of the cannula
• Insert cannula directly into the vein at approximately 30 - 40 degrees
• Advance the cannula slowly until a flashback is seen at the base of the cannula
• Holding the needle still, gently advance the plastic cannula into the vein, not the needle
• Position a swab beneath the cannula to prevent any blood spilling not the patient
• Remove the tourniquet prior to removing the needle
• Press over the end of the cannula (within the vein) to minimise blood loss, whilst removing the needle
• Remove the cap and dispose of the needle into a sharps bin
• Attach the cap
• Apply a cannula dressing
• Flush the cannula via the top port with 5ml of saline watching for extravasation or discomfort
• Thank patient
• Dispose of protective clothing in orange bag
• Wash hands
• If you are setting up an IVI infusion:
• Check the solution is correct and in date
• Ensure the fluid is documented on the drug chart
• Insert the giving tube into the end of the saline bag
• Carefully run the fluid through with the end cap on to avoid spillage
• Clamp the giving tube
• Remove the end cap and fasten to the top port of the cannula
• Release the clamp so that fluid begins to drip