Giving Blood

The entire process of giving blood takes 45 minutes to 1 hour, with the actual blood donation taking approximately 7 minutes. First step is signing in and reading the educational material that helps determine if you are eligible to donate blood (picture). (picture)The next step is to fill out a short questionnaire that also helps determine your eligibility. Some reasons you may not be able to give blood are here. After the questionnaire, you will have your finger pricked and your iron will be tested. If your iron and questionnaires pass, it’s time to give blood (approximately 7 minutes) (picture). After your donation, we ask that you sit in our canteen area for 15 minutes to drink juice and eat cookies (picture). This step gives your body a moment to rest before continuing on your way. You will be fine to drive and go throughout a normal day, although you should not lift anything heavy or work out for 24 hours. Whenever you give blood, we recommend drinking plenty of water and having regular meals the day of your donation.

Step 1 (Fill Out Questionnaire)

Step 2 (Health History- finger pricked to test iron)

Step 3 (Give Blood: approximately 5-10 minutes)

Step 4 (rest for 15 minutes, eat juice and cookies provided by blood bank)