An introduction to blood transfusions for staff that need to understand the process of blood transfusion and real world scenarios to help support patients who have had a transfusion.

This content develops an understanding of the Blood Transfusion process for users who are not directly involved with this process to widen their broad understanding of the subject.

Learning Outcomes:

• Name the different blood groups and describe the importance of the correct blood group
• List different types of blood products and name at least one purpose of each type of blood product
• Describe how someone’s blood group is determined
• Explain why blood transfusions are sometimes clinically necessary
• Briefly describe the risks and benefits associated with blood transfusions
• Describe alternatives to blood transfusions
• Briefly describe the process associated with collecting a blood sample
• Briefly describe the concerns patients may have
• Explain why it is important to gain the patient’s consent for a blood transfusion