Bedside procedures

How to take an arterial blood gas sample

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

MD / DOPA
Practice it in VR with Blocky

An arterial puncture hurts more than a vein. Explain, use local anesthetic if allowed, and press long enough afterward.

Step by step

  1. Explain and check

    Identify the patient, check anticoagulants, note the oxygen they are on. [1]

  2. Collateral flow

    Check blood flow to the hand (modified Allen test) per local policy. [1]

  3. Position

    Wrist slightly extended on a rolled towel; feel the radial pulse. [1]

  4. Insert

    Heparinized syringe, bevel up, 30 to 45 degrees toward the pulse; blood fills on its own. [1]

  5. Press

    At least 5 minutes, longer on blood thinners. [1]

  6. Handle the sample

    Remove air, cap, label, send right away (on ice if delayed, per lab). [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. AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs)
  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.