Which professional is responsible for collecting blood samples in a laboratory setting?

The phlebotomist is the professional specifically trained and responsible for collecting blood samples from patients in a laboratory setting. Their expertise lies in performing venipunctures and capillary collections, ensuring patient safety, comfort, and proper specimen handling to maintain the integrity of the samples for diagnostic testing.

In contrast, while nurses may also collect blood samples as part of their broader clinical responsibilities, their training encompasses a wide range of patient care tasks. Laboratory technicians are primarily involved in processing and analyzing the samples once they have been collected but are not usually the ones who perform the collection themselves. A cardiologist, being a medical doctor specializing in heart-related conditions, has no specific role in blood collection as part of their practice. Thus, the phlebotomist stands out as the designated professional for this particular task.