1.00 Credits
(Prereq: Completion of the three-year academic portion of the Clinical Laboratory Program or equivalent; admission into the clinical program) The fundamentals of Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS), principles and concepts of phlebotomy, and Point of Care Testing (POCT). CLS topics include laboratory safety, regulatory requirements, basics of quality control and assurance, standards of behavior, professionalism, ethics, compliance, specimen handling procedures, laboratory equipment, education methods, effective communication and team building. An introduction to phlebotomist duties, universal precautions, factors to be considered in venipuncture sites, equipment and supplies needed to collect blood, the proper order of draw and specimen collection techniques, adverse effects of improper venipuncture technique and documentation procedures. An overview of the emerging specialty of point of care testing (POCT) through discussions on the history and utility of POCT, various aspects of the analytical performance, regulatory requirements, and laboratory hospital management.