Aim. To assess the knowledge of pathomechanisms and symptoms of vascular infection and preparation of students of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing for the collection and transfer of blood samples to the bacteriological lab. Material and methods. The study included a total of 120 students: 2nd and 3rd year of full-time studies for the bachelor’s degree, 1st and 2nd year of of full-time studies for the master’s degree and part-time studies for the bachelor’s degree. The questionnaire was prepared for the purpose of this study. Students of the microbiology course (bachelor’s degree) and epidemiological nursing (master’s degree) covered blood sampling for the bacteriological examination. Results. The results indicate the need to change the way of teaching and confirms the need for systematic training of nursing staff by microbiological laboratory staff. Conclusion. From the viewpoint of the microbiologist, survey results showed that the students’ knowledge is not sufficient and can directly lead to serious pre-analytical errors in the diagnosis of vascular infections.

Key words: blood specimen collection, transport and storage conditions, education.