A clinical medical assistant is assigned to perform a routine venipuncture. Which of the following items should the assistant ensure is in the room prior to beginning the procedure?

A. Having small talk with a patient: While engaging with patients is important, small talk is not related to continuity of care, which involves ensuring consistent and coordinated healthcare.
B. Transferring a patient's hospital records to a specialist: Continuity of care involves sharing patient information with all members of the healthcare team, including specialists, to provide seamless and coordinated care.
C. Dismissing a patient from the practice: Dismissing a patient ends the care relationship and does not contribute to continuity of care.
D. Verifying a patient's insurance: Verifying insurance is an administrative task and does not directly impact the continuity of patient care.

A. Reaching over the field: Reaching over a sterile field can contaminate it by introducing microorganisms from outside the sterile area.
B. Maintaining a 1-inch border around the edge of the sterile field: Maintaining a 1-inch border is a standard practice to ensure that the edges of the sterile field are not contaminated.
C. Holding all sterile articles at waist level: Holding sterile articles above the waist level is the recommended practice to prevent contamination. Holding them at waist level is considered acceptable as long as the items do not touch non-sterile surfaces.
D. Facing the sterile field: Facing the sterile field while working is part of maintaining sterile technique, as it ensures that you do not accidentally move toward the sterile field and contaminate it.