When performing heelsticks on infants in a hospital nursery, what is important to never do?

When performing heelsticks on infants, it is critically important to never share supplies from one infant to another. This practice is crucial to prevent the transmission of infections and ensure patient safety. Each infant’s blood is distinct, and sharing needles, lancets, or other equipment can introduce harmful pathogens from one infant to another, compromising their health and creating a risk of cross-contamination.

Maintaining strict infection control protocols, including using individual supplies for each infant, helps to safeguard their well-being and adhere to established medical guidelines. This principle is foundational in both potential hospital outbreaks and overall best practices in phlebotomy.

Using alcohol swabs, performing the procedure on a wet surface, or placing the infant in a restraint, while they may raise concerns related to safety and technique, don't pose the immediate and critical risk of cross-contamination in the same way sharing supplies does. Each of these practices can be managed with appropriate attention and care, whereas the sharing of supplies poses an inherent and direct risk to patient safety.