Mr. Jones needs to give a specimen from home. Which of the following should be performed first?

In a scenario where a specimen needs to be collected from home, the first action that should be taken is handwashing. This step is critical for ensuring proper hygiene and minimizing the risk of contamination during specimen collection. Handwashing effectively removes bacteria and other pathogens from the hands, which is vital for maintaining the integrity of the specimen and ensuring safety for both the patient and the laboratory personnel who will handle the specimen later.

Providing a clean environment for the specimen collection is fundamental, as contaminants on the hands can compromise the test results, leading to inaccurate diagnoses or ineffective treatments. Therefore, demonstrating proper hand hygiene before any other steps is a best practice in phlebotomy and specimen collection protocols.

Subsequent steps, such as preparing the specimen collection kit, labeling the container, and documenting the specimen, are also necessary, but they should follow the handwashing step to uphold the highest standards of cleanliness and accuracy in the specimen collection process.