Reference check questions for phlebotomists

Phlebotomy looks simple from the outside: find a vein, fill the tubes, label them. The risks sit in the details. A tube labeled away from the patient can put one person’s result in another person’s chart. A hemolyzed or clotted sample means a redraw and a delayed result. A phlebotomist who keeps trying on a hard stick, rather than asking for help, leaves the patient bruised and dreading the next draw.

None of that shows up on a certificate or in an interview. The lab supervisor who reviewed the candidate’s rejected specimens, and the nurses on the units where they drew, know how carefully the candidate identified patients, how their specimens held up and how they treated people who were frightened of needles. For mobile roles, also ask about the parts of the job nobody watches: arriving on time, keeping specimens at the right temperature and getting them to the lab.

Who to ask

• A lab or phlebotomy supervisor who tracked the candidate’s rejected specimens, labeling errors and incident reports.
• A nurse on a unit where the candidate drew, for how they worked with patients who were sick, sleeping or hard to stick.
• The lead at an outpatient collection site or a mobile service, for pace, punctuality and specimen handling away from the lab.
• For a new phlebotomist, the supervisor of their clinical training or externship, who watched their first draws on real patients.

Questions to ask, by competency

Choose the competencies that matter most for the position and two or three questions from each. Ask every reference the same set, and when an answer is a rating, ask for the example behind it.

Patient identification and labeling

A mislabeled specimen can harm a patient without anyone noticing at the time, because the result looks plausible and goes into the wrong chart. Identification and labeling have to happen the same way on every draw.

1. How did the candidate confirm a patient’s identity before drawing, and did that slip when the waiting room was full or the patient was a regular?
2. Where did the candidate label tubes: at the bedside with the patient present, or somewhere else? Were any of their specimens rejected for labeling?
3. How would you rate the candidate’s identification and labeling habits, compared with other phlebotomists you have supervised? (rating)

Specimen quality

Hemolyzed, clotted or underfilled tubes, the wrong order of draw and samples left too long before processing all lead to redraws and delayed results.

1. How often did the lab reject or question the candidate’s specimens, and for what reasons?
2. How did the candidate handle timed draws, such as a drug level or a series ordered hours apart?
3. When a specimen needed special handling, such as protection from light or transport on ice, did the candidate get it right?

Difficult draws and patient care

Fragile or hidden veins, small children and people who are afraid of needles test a phlebotomist’s skill and patience. Knowing when to stop and get help is part of the skill.

1. When the candidate could not get blood from a patient with difficult veins, how many attempts did they make before asking for help, and who did they ask?
2. Tell me about a patient who fainted or nearly fainted during one of the candidate’s draws. What did the candidate do?
3. How did the candidate work with children, older adults or patients frightened of needles?

Safety, pace and reliability

Morning draws in a hospital are timed so results are ready when providers round, and mobile phlebotomists work alone on a schedule. Speed only counts when sharps safety and labeling hold up with it.

1. Have you seen the candidate recap a needle, leave a used sharp on a tray or overfill a sharps container?
2. On early morning rounds, how did the candidate keep pace without cutting corners on identification or hand hygiene?
3. For mobile or home draws, how reliably did the candidate arrive on time, keep specimens at the right temperature and get them to the lab?

Close the reference

End every reference the same way: ask whether they would hire or work with the candidate again and why, what support would help the candidate do their best work, and whether there is anything else you should know. The general question bank explains why the first of these matters most.

Checks a reference does not replace

• State requirements. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that states may require phlebotomists to complete an accredited training program, hold a license or certification, or meet other requirements. Check your state’s rules, and confirm any state credential with the agency that issued it.
• National certification the candidate lists, with the organization that issued it. Some employers prefer certified phlebotomists, the bureau notes, so a certificate on a resume is worth confirming.
• The federal exclusion list. The HHS Office of Inspector General says health care employers should check new hires and current employees against its List of Excluded Individuals/Entities.
• A driver’s license for mobile roles. Phlebotomists who transport samples may need one, according to the bureau. If a third party pulls a driving record for you, the Federal Trade Commission’s guidance on consumer reports sets out the employer’s obligations.

Warning signs to follow up

• A supervisor mentions labeling errors or rejected specimens but cannot say what changed afterward.
• The candidate kept trying on patients with difficult veins long after the lab’s policy called for help.
• References praise the candidate’s speed and say nothing about identification, labeling or patient care.
• Late or missing deliveries on a mobile route, or specimens that arrived at the wrong temperature.

One warning sign is a reason to ask another question, not a verdict. Reference check red flags covers how to check a concern fairly.

Questions to leave out

Ask only about the work. Before an offer, the EEOC’s guidance says an employer may not ask a third party, such as a former employer, any question it could not ask the candidate directly. Leave out health, medical leave, age, family plans and other protected characteristics. What to leave out has the full list.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the requirements that apply to your organization, and in your state, with your counsel or HR policy office.