Nancy McFarland, RMA (AMT), has worked at Inner City Health Care for more than 5 years. In that time, Nancy has become proficient in obtaining specimens from patients for various laboratory tests. Nancy enjoys the work and finds it extremely challenging. She also realizes that communicating with patients to help them understand why their specimens are necessary for testing is just as important as being skillful in collecting and testing the specimens. Nancy has found that when she explains the reason the specimen is needed in terms patients can understand, they are often less fearful, which helps them relax. This can be especially helpful when collecting blood specimens.

What are some key points to adhere to when performing testing using a CLIA-waived test kit to ensure accuracy?