Health Sciences and Social Services Curative Health

Blood Collection for Pathology and Transfusion Training

SAQA US 252400 | NQF 4 | Credits 15 | Duration 12 Days
From $2,214 per delegate

Description

This course equips healthcare professionals with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required to collect blood samples for medical pathology testing and blood transfusion purposes. Participants will learn proper venipuncture techniques, patient preparation, specimen handling, and safety protocols to ensure accurate diagnostic results and patient comfort.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply standard precautions and infection control measures during blood collection procedures.
  • Demonstrate correct venipuncture techniques for both pathology and transfusion samples.
  • Identify and select appropriate equipment, tubes, and additives for specific blood tests.
  • Analyze patient information and test requests to determine the correct collection method.
  • Implement proper labeling, handling, and transportation of blood specimens to maintain integrity.

Target Audience

This course is designed for phlebotomists, nursing staff, medical technicians, and other healthcare workers who are responsible for or involved in blood collection procedures in clinical or hospital settings.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Blood Collection and Safety

Objectives:
• Understand the role of blood collection in pathology and transfusion
• Identify key safety protocols and infection control measures
• Describe the anatomy of veins suitable for venepuncture
• Recognise legal and ethical considerations in blood collection

Topics:
• Overview of blood collection and its importance in healthcare
• Infection prevention and control (IPC) principles
• Standard precautions: hand hygiene, PPE, waste management
• Anatomy and physiology of the circulatory system
• Vein selection and palpation techniques
• Legal framework: patient consent and confidentiality
• Documentation and labelling requirements

Day 2: Equipment and Materials for Blood Collection

Objectives:
• Identify different types of blood collection equipment
• Select appropriate equipment based on patient needs
• Understand the use of additives and anticoagulants
• Perform pre-use checks on equipment

Topics:
• Vacutainer systems, syringes, and butterfly needles
• Needle gauges and their applications
• Blood collection tubes: types, additives, and order of draw
• Tourniquets, alcohol swabs, gauze, and bandages
• Sharps disposal and safety devices
• Equipment maintenance and quality checks

Day 3: Venepuncture Techniques – Theory and Preparation

Objectives:
• Describe the steps of a standard venepuncture procedure
• Prepare the patient and environment for blood collection
• Identify potential complications and their prevention
• Apply correct patient identification procedures

Topics:
• Patient identification and verification protocols
• Explaining the procedure to the patient
• Positioning the patient and selecting the site
• Skin preparation and antisepsis
• Step-by-step venepuncture technique
• Managing difficult veins and alternative sites
• Complications: haematoma, nerve injury, infection

Day 4: Capillary Blood Collection and Special Considerations

Objectives:
• Perform capillary blood collection correctly
• Differentiate when capillary collection is appropriate
• Understand point-of-care testing (POCT) basics
• Adapt techniques for special populations

Topics:
• Capillary puncture sites: finger, heel, earlobe
• Microcollection tubes and lancets
• Order of draw for capillary samples
• Blood smear preparation
• Paediatric and geriatric considerations
• Obese patients, IV lines, and oedematous limbs

Day 5: Blood Collection for Transfusion – Donor Screening and Safety

Objectives:
• Describe the donor screening process
• Identify contraindications to blood donation
• Understand donor reactions and management
• Apply safety checks for transfusion samples

Topics:
• Donor eligibility criteria and questionnaire
• Haemoglobin screening and vital signs
• Donor consent and confidentiality
• Types of blood donation: whole blood, apheresis
• Adverse reactions: fainting, citrate toxicity
• Post-donation care and counselling

Day 6: Blood Collection for Transfusion – Collection and Processing

Objectives:
• Perform whole blood collection using standard technique
• Label and store blood components correctly
• Understand the cold chain and transport requirements
• Describe the processing of donated blood into components

Topics:
• Whole blood collection procedure
• Mixing and weighing blood units
• Labelling: barcodes, expiry dates, blood group
• Storage conditions for whole blood and components
• Transport and cold chain management
• Introduction to component preparation: RBCs, platelets, plasma

Day 7: Specimen Handling, Processing, and Storage

Objectives:
• Handle and process blood specimens correctly
• Apply centrifugation and separation techniques
• Store samples appropriately for various tests
• Recognise the importance of chain of custody

Topics:
• Centrifugation: speed, time, and temperature
• Serum and plasma separation
• Aliquoting and labelling secondary tubes
• Storage requirements: refrigeration, freezing, room temperature
• Chain of custody for forensic and legal samples
• Quality control: checking for haemolysis, clots, etc.

Day 8: Infection Control and Waste Management in Phlebotomy

Objectives:
• Apply advanced infection control measures
• Manage biological waste according to regulations
• Respond to needle-stick injuries and spills
• Understand disinfection and sterilisation principles

Topics:
• Hand hygiene and aseptic technique
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) use
• Management of sharps and clinical waste
• Needle-stick injury protocol
• Spill management and decontamination
• Sterilisation vs disinfection: methods and applications
• Occupational health and safety legislation

Day 9: Quality Assurance and Troubleshooting in Blood Collection

Objectives:
• Identify common pre-analytical errors and their causes
• Implement quality assurance measures
• Troubleshoot difficult collections and sample rejection
• Understand the role of audits and corrective actions

Topics:
• Pre-analytical variables: patient preparation, timing, technique
• Sample rejection criteria: haemolysis, clotting, insufficient volume
• Troubleshooting difficult venepunctures
• Quality indicators and monitoring
• Incident reporting and root cause analysis
• Internal and external quality assessment

Day 10: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Issues in Phlebotomy

Objectives:
• Understand informed consent and patient rights
• Apply ethical principles in blood collection
• Maintain confidentiality and data protection
• Recognise scope of practice and professional boundaries

Topics:
• Informed consent: verbal vs written
• Patient autonomy and refusal of treatment
• Confidentiality and POPIA compliance
• Professional conduct and scope of practice
• Code of ethics for phlebotomists
• Dealing with vulnerable patients
• Documentation and record keeping

Day 11: Advanced Techniques and Point-of-Care Testing

Objectives:
• Perform blood culture collection and arterial puncture
• Use point-of-care testing (POCT) devices
• Interpret POCT results and troubleshoot errors
• Apply infection control in POCT settings

Topics:
• Blood culture collection: aseptic technique and volume
• Arterial puncture for blood gas analysis
• POCT devices: glucose, haemoglobin, INR
• Quality control and calibration of POCT devices
• Interpreting POCT results and limitations
• Documentation and connectivity with LIS

Day 12: Integration, Assessment, and Course Review

Objectives:
• Integrate knowledge and skills from all days
• Demonstrate competence in simulated scenarios
• Prepare for summative assessment
• Review key concepts and address gaps

Topics:
• Simulated blood collection scenarios
• Case studies: difficult patients, error management
• Review of key procedures and safety protocols
• Written and practical assessment preparation
• Final Q&A session
• Course evaluation and feedback

Practicals

36 hours of practicals To be conducted online or on-campus or in-house
Overview

Hands-on practical sessions are essential for developing competence in blood collection techniques. Learners will practice venepuncture on mannequins, perform capillary punctures, handle donor collection equipment, and use point-of-care testing devices under supervision. These sessions ensure learners can apply theoretical knowledge safely and effectively in clinical settings.

Practical Activities
  • Venepuncture on Training Mannequins — Learners practice venepuncture on mannequins with simulated veins, focusing on technique, order of draw, and troubleshooting. (12h)
  • Capillary Blood Collection and Point-of-Care Testing — Learners perform capillary punctures on mannequins and use POCT devices for glucose and haemoglobin testing. (8h)
  • Donor Blood Collection and Processing Simulation — Simulated whole blood donation: learners screen donors, collect blood, label units, and process components. (8h)
  • Integrated Practical Assessment — Summative assessment where learners complete a full blood collection scenario, including venepuncture, capillary collection, and POCT, while adhering to safety and quality standards. (8h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored) 100% 30%
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 50%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Practicals 30% + Daily Average 20% + Final Test 50%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Fri 11 Sep 2026 Mon 28 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $2,214 Register
Thu 01 Oct 2026 Fri 16 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $2,214 Register
Wed 21 Oct 2026 Thu 05 Nov 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $2,214 Register
Wed 09 Dec 2026 Thu 24 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $2,214 Register
Tue 12 Jan 2027 Wed 27 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $2,214 Register
Mon 15 Feb 2027 Tue 02 Mar 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $2,214 Register
Fri 05 Mar 2027 Mon 22 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $2,214 Register
Thu 11 Mar 2027 Fri 26 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $2,214 Register
Wed 17 Mar 2027 Thu 01 Apr 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $2,214 Register
Tue 08 Jun 2027 Wed 23 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $2,214 Register
Mon 28 Jun 2027 Tue 13 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $2,214 Register
Fri 23 Jul 2027 Mon 09 Aug 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $2,214 Register
Thu 09 Sep 2027 Fri 24 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $2,214 Register
Wed 29 Sep 2027 Thu 14 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $2,214 Register
Tue 19 Oct 2027 Wed 03 Nov 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $2,214 Register
Wed 08 Dec 2027 Thu 23 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $2,214 Register
Tue 28 Dec 2027 Wed 12 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $2,214 Register
Mon 17 Jan 2028 Tue 01 Feb 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $2,214 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 521 sessions across 26 venues
Start End Venue Season Price Action
Tue 07 Jul 2026 Wed 22 Jul 2026 Kinshasa, DRC Winter 2026 $6,237 Register
Wed 08 Jul 2026 Thu 23 Jul 2026 Kampala, Uganda Winter 2026 $6,237 Register
Wed 08 Jul 2026 Thu 23 Jul 2026 Mbabane, Eswatini Winter 2026 $5,319 Register
Thu 09 Jul 2026 Fri 24 Jul 2026 Mombasa, Kenya Winter 2026 $6,237 Register
Fri 10 Jul 2026 Mon 27 Jul 2026 Luanda, Angola Winter 2026 $6,237 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 14 Sep 2026 Tue 29 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $2,878 Register
Fri 09 Oct 2026 Mon 26 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $2,878 Register
Thu 29 Oct 2026 Fri 13 Nov 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $2,878 Register
Thu 17 Dec 2026 Fri 01 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $2,878 Register
Wed 20 Jan 2027 Thu 04 Feb 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $2,878 Register
Tue 23 Feb 2027 Wed 10 Mar 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $2,878 Register
Mon 08 Mar 2027 Tue 23 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $2,878 Register
Fri 19 Mar 2027 Mon 05 Apr 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $2,878 Register
Thu 25 Mar 2027 Fri 09 Apr 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $2,878 Register
Wed 16 Jun 2027 Thu 01 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $2,878 Register
Tue 06 Jul 2027 Wed 21 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $2,878 Register
Mon 26 Jul 2027 Tue 10 Aug 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $2,878 Register
Fri 17 Sep 2027 Mon 04 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $2,878 Register
Thu 07 Oct 2027 Fri 22 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $2,878 Register
Wed 27 Oct 2027 Thu 11 Nov 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $2,878 Register
Thu 16 Dec 2027 Fri 31 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $2,878 Register
Wed 05 Jan 2028 Thu 20 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $2,878 Register
Tue 25 Jan 2028 Wed 09 Feb 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $2,878 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

View Sessions & Register Get A Quote Download Course Brochure
Have an account?

Sign in to track your applications and manage your cart.

Related Courses

Other Health Sciences and Social Services courses at NQF level 4 learners on this page also viewed.

Browse the full Health Sciences and Social Services category for health sciences and social services training programmes.
GET A QUOTE / APPLY COURSE CATALOGUE