Bedside procedures

How to draw blood (venipuncture)

Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.

Nursing (NCLEX)
Practice it in VR with Blocky

Venipuncture is quick when the setup is complete before the needle goes in.

What you need

Step by step

  1. Identify and explain

    Two identifiers, check the order, explain, ask about fainting and allergies. [1]

  2. Choose the vein

    Usually the median cubital vein in the elbow crease; avoid the arm with a fistula, IV or after breast surgery. [2]

  3. Tourniquet and clean

    Tourniquet 3 to 4 inches above, no more than 1 minute; clean and let dry. [2]

  4. Insert

    Anchor the vein, bevel up, about 15 to 30 degrees. [2]

  5. Fill tubes in order

    Follow your lab's order of draw; invert tubes gently as required. [2]

  6. Finish

    Release the tourniquet, remove the needle, safety on, pressure with gauze. [2]

  7. Label at the bedside

    In front of the patient, with two identifiers, time and your initials. [1]

Common errors

Practice it in VMS

In VMS you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.

VMS cases that train this skill

8 VMS cases train this skill: open the case library

Sources

  1. The Joint Commission, National Patient Safety Goals
  2. Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College) (CC BY 4.0)
  3. OpenStax, Clinical Nursing Skills (CC BY 4.0)

Steps adapted from Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College) and OpenStax, Clinical Nursing Skills, licensed under CC BY 4.0. VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.