As you can see, we’ve broken down the hemoglobin test into 14 steps. Generally speaking, these are the steps many WIC agencies follow; however, your agency may differ. In the coming pages, we’ll take a closer look at each of these steps. Next, you’ll see a short video on how a hemoglobin test is performed.

The steps to the hemoglobin test are:

• Step One: Signing the Rights & Obligations Form
• Step Two: Washing Hands
• Step Three: Assembling Supplies
• Step Four: Turning on the HemoCue Machine
• Step Five: If Error Messages are Displayed
• Step Six: Choosing/Warming the Finger
• Step Seven: Cleansing the Finger
• Step Eight: Holding the Finger
• Step Nine: Puncturing the Finger
• Step Ten: Filling the Cuvette
• Step Eleven: Measuring Hemoglobin Levels
• Step Twelve: Bandaging the Finger
• Step Thirteen: Cleansing Work Area
• Step Fourteen: Disposing of Supplies

Note: The scope of this training only covers performing a finger stick on an adult. Your supervisor will guide you through the steps taken for infants and children.