Administering the wrong blood component to the wrong patient can have serious clinical consequences, including death. Patients have a right to safe clinical practice in line with nurses' professional standards and code of conduct, and other healthcare regulatory frameworks. Transfusion of blood components is no exception to this; therefore, it is important for healthcare organisations to have policies in place to support healthcare practitioners in ensuring patient safety throughout the transfusion process. This article outlines the clinical practice and administration required to undertake blood component transfusions safely and effectively. It also explains the rationale for checking processes, with reference to clinical guidelines.
Keywords: allogeneic transfusion; blood components; blood transfusion; haematology.
©2018 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.