How to Answer: Tell me about your experience in collecting lab samples, such as blood, tissue, and other specimens.
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Kaiser Permanente job interview.
7. Tell me about your experience in collecting lab samples, such as blood, tissue, and other specimens.
How to Answer
As part of Kaiser's nursing strategy, as it relates to integrity, one of their behaviors focuses on integrating ethical provisions in all practice areas. They do this by modeling and reinforcing ethical behavior.
In many clinical situations, nurses are responsible for collecting lab samples to send away for testing, such as blood, tissue, and other specimens. Kaiser asks this question to assess your ability and knowledge around collecting lab samples and following appropriate procedures.
To effectively answer this question, you should explain your experience and demonstrate your knowledge around the process and requirements. A more robust answer to this question should include an example of when you streamlined a process for collection or documentation.
Written by Angela Fontaine on April 18th, 2021
Entry Level Example
"I have experience collecting urine specimens from patients, both from catheters and from having patients urinate in a sample cup. It's important to ensure there is a doctor's order in place, label the cup beforehand with the patient's name and date of birth, then provide the supplies to the patient with instructions on how to collect the sample properly. Once complete, you must quickly take the sample to the lab to be processed, as leaving samples lay could cause an error in results and also delays the time it would take for the results to be obtained."
Written by Jaymie Payne on December 17th, 2022
Experienced Example
"In my current role, I have experience collecting many types of lab samples, including blood, urine, fecal, skin, and other types of samples. Whenever I collect a sample from a patient, I always confirm their name and date of birth to ensure I am matching the sample back to the appropriate patient. After the sample is collected, I document it in our laboratory log, so there is a record of it going out to the lab. The lab sample must be documented appropriately, so we can track and monitor the sample and ensure the patient gets accurate results."
Written by Angela Fontaine on April 18th, 2021