Patient safety

How to identify the patient (two identifiers)

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

Nursing (NCLEX)MD / DOPAEMS (NREMT)
Practice it in VR with Blocky

Using two identifiers is a Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goal. It prevents giving the right treatment to the wrong person.

Step by step

  1. Use two identifiers

    Usually full name and date of birth. Never the room or bed number. [1]

  2. Ask, do not tell

    "Can you tell me your full name and date of birth?" Do not say "You are John Smith, right?". [1]

  3. Compare

    Check what the patient says against the wristband and the order, label or medication record. [1]

  4. When

    Before every medicine, blood product, sample, test and procedure. [1]

  5. Label in front of the patient

    Samples are labeled at the bedside, right after collection. [1]

  6. If they cannot answer

    Use the wristband and another reliable source per policy. [1]

  7. If anything does not match

    Stop, do not give the treatment, and fix the mismatch first. [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

506 VMS cases train this skill: open the case library

Sources

  1. The Joint Commission, National Patient Safety Goals

Facts and steps follow The Joint Commission, National Patient Safety Goals. VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.