Structured learning
5.5 hours
Blended, hands-on
Assessment
20 questions
Pass mark 80%
Group size
Maximum 6
Live supervised practice
Confident, Safe Venous Access Is a Foundation Skill
Whether you draw bloods, place a cannula for IV therapy, or manage a patient who reacts to the needle, the margin for error is small — and technique is everything. This course takes registered clinicians from theory to competent, supervised practice on real patients: assessing and selecting a vein, performing Vacutainer venepuncture and the butterfly technique, placing a peripheral cannula safely, and recognising and managing complications before they become emergencies.
How the Course Works
The course is blended: you complete the pre-study and assessment before attending a single, focused practical day of supervised, hands-on training.
01
Pre-study
A learning pack covering venous anatomy, equipment, order of draw, patient assessment, aseptic technique, venepuncture and cannulation procedures, complications, sample handling and legal requirements. Approximately 1 hour.
02
Assessment
A 20-question multiple choice paper. Pass mark 80%. Submitted at least 48 hours before your practical day, so you arrive ready to focus on technique.
03
Practical day
Four hours of supervised practice on consenting patients: vein assessment, Vacutainer venepuncture, butterfly technique, peripheral cannulation and complications management, with individual competency sign-off by faculty.
What You Will Learn
✔
Vein assessment & site selection
By palpation and tourniquet technique
✔
Vacutainer venepuncture
Tube order, fill volumes, labelling and sample handling
✔
Butterfly technique
For small, fragile or difficult veins
✔
Peripheral cannulation
Gauge selection, flashback, advancement, flushing and securing
✔
Aseptic non-touch technique & sharps safety
Skin antisepsis, drying, point-of-use disposal and sharps-injury protocol
✔
Complication recognition & management
Haematoma, vasovagal, arterial puncture, nerve contact, infiltration and phlebitis
Safety — the rule that matters most
Never re-advance the needle into a partially withdrawn cannula. It can shear the catheter and cause a catheter embolus. Rules like this are drilled and assessed on the day, not simply mentioned.
Your Certificate
What it shows
Your name, the course title and date, 5.5 hours of structured learning, confirmation you passed the assessment at 80%, and a faculty-signed record of practical competency.
Under the GMC, GDC, NMC and HCPC, CPD is self-directed and self-declared: you choose learning relevant to your scope of practice, and you record it. Your certificate gives you the evidence to do that. It is a record of training and assessment — it is not a regulated qualification, and it does not by itself establish your ongoing clinical competence.
CPD Certification
This course is CPD Certified by The CPD Certification Service (Member No. 7006). CPD Certification confirms that the course material meets recognised CPD standards and guidelines. It does not confirm the competence of any learner completing the course; competence is assessed by PHP Training Academy against its own assessment criteria.
Who this course is for
Registered healthcare professionals — doctors, nurses, dentists and pharmacists registered with the GMC, GDC, NMC or GPhC, or an equivalent regulatory body if registered outside the UK — who hold professional indemnity insurance covering their relevant practice. We verify eligibility before confirming your place.
Small groups. Real patients. Harley Street.
Book Your Phlebotomy & Cannulation Training
Maximum 6 delegates · Live supervised practice · Certificate on competency sign-off
22 Harley Street, London W1G 9PL · contact@phptrainingacademy.com · +44 (0)7917 785 695