Skills Hub
phlebotomy
Capillary Puncture (Fingerstick)
Always tested on the CCMA
Perform a capillary puncture for glucose or hemoglobin testing.
About this skill
Capillary puncture on the lateral aspect of the third or fourth finger, with proper specimen collection (wipe first drop, no milking) and hemostasis.
14 total steps
5 critical steps
Time limit: 4 min
What graders are watching for
- 1Use the lateral aspect of the third or fourth finger
- 2Wipe the first drop (contains tissue fluid)
- 3Do not milk the finger (dilutes the specimen)
Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
- !Puncturing the pad (more painful, less blood)
- !Milking the finger
- !Reusing a lancet on the same patient
Practice this skill step-by-step
The static walkthrough above is the marketing overview. The full step-by-step interactive practice (with critical-step highlighting, per-step "why this matters" rationale, and what graders watch for on each individual step) is unlocked with a subscription.