Nursing & Healthcare Exam Prep
byRan Chen, EA, CFP®
EducationCoursesHealthFitness
Nursing & Healthcare Exam Prep is a daily podcast designed to help future nurses and healthcare professionals pass their licensing and admission exams with clarity and confidence. Built and operated by OpenExamPrep, this podcast breaks down major nursing and healthcare exams into focused, easy-to-digest episodes covering NCLEX-RN, NCLEX-PN, CNA certification, and ATI TEAS, across national exam standards and applicable state-level requirements. Each episode targets one key concept, common exam trap, or high-frequency test topic—making it ideal for studying during commutes, workouts, or short study sessions. Created by Ran Chen, EA, CFP®, a financial professional and exam specialist who has personally pas...
Episodes(40 episodes)
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 91, Critical Value Reporting and Read-Back
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- What defines a critical (or panic) value and why it requires immediate notification.
- The correct step-by-step procedure for verbally reporting a critical lab result.
- Why the 'read-back' verification is a mandatory step required by The Joint Commission.
- The essential elements that must be documented after reporting a critical v...
Published: Jul 26, 2026Duration: 2m 51s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 90, Laboratory Information System (LIS) Basics
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- The correct procedure for verifying patient orders between the EMR, LIS, and paper requisitions to avoid pre-analytical errors.
- The function of a unique accession number and the critical importance of immediate, bedside barcode labeling after specimen collection.
- Your role in documenting specimen collection and receipt in the LIS to m...
Published: Jul 25, 2026Duration: 3m 3s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 89, Documentation — What and When
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- The essential, non-negotiable elements of phlebotomy documentation: time, initials, and tube types.
- The correct procedure for documenting unsuccessful draw attempts and adverse patient reactions like syncope or refusal.
- The critical difference between the manually recorded time of collection and the LIS entry timestamp.
- How to properly make a l...
Published: Jul 24, 2026Duration: 3m 12s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 88, Cultural Competency in Phlebotomy
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- How to correctly respond to a patient's request for a gender-concordant phlebotomist based on religious beliefs.
- The critical patient safety steps to take when a blood draw is ordered for a patient observing a religious fast.
- Best practices for managing patients who exhibit fear or anxiety due to previous m...
Published: Jul 23, 2026Duration: 3m 20s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 87, Communicating With Limited English Proficiency
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- To prioritize patient safety and consent by always using a qualified medical interpreter for patients with limited English proficiency.
- Why using family members as interpreters is a common exam trap and is inappropriate due to risks of misinterpretation, bias, and privacy violations.
- That facility-approved telephone or video interpreter services a...
Published: Jul 22, 2026Duration: 3m 8s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 86, Communication With Anxious Patients
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- How to properly acknowledge and validate a patient's fear instead of dismissing it.
- The best way to explain the phlebotomy procedure using simple, clear language to reduce anxiety.
- How to actively use distraction and breathing techniques as coping mechanisms for nervous patients.
- Why you must avoid the common e...
Published: Jul 21, 2026Duration: 3m 8s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 85, Professional Ethics and Scope of Practice
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- The five core duties that are within the phlebotomist's scope of practice, including patient identification, collection, labeling, transport, and basic point-of-care testing.
- Why interpreting results, providing a diagnosis, or advising on treatment is strictly outside your professional boundaries.
- How exam questions create scenarios to trap you into choosing a...
Published: Jul 20, 2026Duration: 2m 6s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 84, Ergonomics in Phlebotomy
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- Why adjusting both the phlebotomist's and patient's chair is a critical safety step to prevent back strain.
- The correct way to organize a phlebotomy cart, placing frequently used items at waist height to avoid bending and reaching.
- Safe lifting and positioning techniques for inpatient draws, especially with non-adjustable beds, t...
Published: Jul 19, 2026Duration: 3m 50s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 83, Chemical Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- How the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) standardized the old MSDS into the current 16-section SDS format.
- The critical importance of locating and consulting the SDS *before* responding to a chemical spill or exposure.
- How to identify key information in an SDS, particularly in sections on hazards (2), first aid (4), spill r...
Published: Jul 18, 2026Duration: 3m 31s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 82, Fire Safety — RACE and PASS
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- The correct sequence of actions in a fire is Rescue, Alarm, Contain, and then Extinguish or Evacuate (RACE).
- To properly operate a fire extinguisher, you must follow the PASS method: Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, and Sweep from side to side.
- A...
Published: Jul 17, 2026Duration: 3m 23s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 81, Latex Allergy Recognition and Management
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- The critical difference between an immediate Type I (IgE-mediated) reaction and a delayed Type IV contact dermatitis in latex allergies.
- How to identify key foods like banana, avocado, kiwi, and chestnut that have cross-reactivity with latex.
- The single most important screening question to ask every patient before a blood d...
Published: Jul 16, 2026Duration: 2m 54s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 80, Disinfection vs Sterilization vs Cleaning
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- Cleaning is always the mandatory first step to physically remove visible debris before disinfection or sterilization.
- Disinfection eliminates most pathogens from inanimate surfaces but not bacterial spores, and its effectiveness relies on proper contact time.
- Sterilization is the only process that destroys all microbial life, including spores, with the a...
Published: Jul 15, 2026Duration: 3m 36s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 79, Spill Response — Blood and Body Fluid
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- The absolute first step to take when a blood spill occurs, before any cleaning begins.
- The correct bleach-to-water dilution ratio for disinfecting a blood spill, a common exam question.
- The minimum required contact time for the disinfectant to be effective against bloodborne pathogens.
- The proper sequence for using a...
Published: Jul 14, 2026Duration: 4m 10s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 78, Biohazard Waste Disposal
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- The specific items that belong in a red biohazard bag versus a puncture-proof sharps container.
- How to differentiate and properly handle bulk fluid waste compared to items with trace contamination.
- The importance of the 'cradle-to-grave' manifest system for tracking regulated medical waste.
- Common exam traps, such as confusing t...
Published: Jul 13, 2026Duration: 3m 4s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 77, IATA — Biological Specimen Shipping
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- To differentiate high-risk Category A (UN2814) from routine diagnostic Category B (UN3373) specimens.
- The specific functions of the primary leakproof, secondary absorbent, and outer rigid layers of the triple packaging system.
- Key labeling requirements, including the proper shipping name, UN number, and shipper/receiver contact information.
- The critical s...
Published: Jul 12, 2026Duration: 3m 7s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 76, FDA Device Regulation in Lab
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- Differentiate between FDA Class I (low-risk), II (moderate-risk), and III (high-risk) medical devices using phlebotomy-specific examples.
- Understand that most common phlebotomy supplies, like collection tubes and analyzers, are categorized as Class II devices.
- Grasp the purpose of the 510(k) clearance process, which ensures a new device is substantially equivalent t...
Published: Jul 11, 2026Duration: 3m 10s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 75, CLIA Personnel Standards by Test Complexity
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- CLIA '88 categorizes tests into waived, moderate, and high complexity, each with specific personnel requirements.
- Waived tests can be performed by any personnel who have documented training and follow manufacturer instructions.
- Moderate complexity testing requires a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent, plus specific training.
- High c...
Published: Jul 10, 2026Duration: 4m 6s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 74, CLIA — Lab Regulation Tiers
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- The role of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA '88) and CMS in regulating lab testing.
- How to distinguish between waived, moderate, and high complexity tests based on risk and expertise required.
- The specific types of CLIA-waived tests a phlebotomist is most likely to perform, such as point-of-care glucose m...
Published: Jul 9, 2026Duration: 3m 39s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 73, JCAHO and Patient Safety Goals
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- Always use at least two patient identifiers, such as full name and date of birth, before every blood draw.
- A patient's room number is never an acceptable form of identification.
- Proper hand hygiene is the most critical action to prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections.
- Critical lab values m...
Published: Jul 8, 2026Duration: 3m 35s
Phlebotomy Exam Prep 72, Patient Rights and Bill of Rights
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.
In this episode you will learn:
- The critical difference between implied and informed consent in phlebotomy scenarios.
- The correct, exam-tested protocol for handling a patient's refusal of a blood draw.
- Key privacy and confidentiality requirements under HIPAA that are commonly tested.
- How to properly provide accommodations for patients with disabilities or language barriers.
- P...
Published: Jul 7, 2026Duration: 3m 10s