Collect biological specimens from patients.

Collect biological specimens from patients. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 17 occupations and seen in 29 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Collect environmental or biological samples. in Handling and Moving Objects .

Detailed work activities are the most granular shared layer in O*NET's work-activity hierarchy (Generalized → Intermediate → Detailed → occupation-specific task). The figures below describe how this activity shows up across the economy and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the work will be automated.

AI exposure

Of the 29 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 0 (0%) are flagged as directly exposed to language models (E1) or exposed via model-powered tools (E2).

Exposure estimates overlap with model capabilities — whether a model could speed the task up — not whether the work will be done by software. Observed AI use is augmentation and assistance today, not jobs replaced.

Member tasks

Occupation-specific tasks O*NET maps to this detailed work activity, most important first.

• Cut sections of body tissues for microscopic examination, using microtomes. · Histology Technicians · importance 5.0 · no direct exposure
• Collect specimens from patients, using standard medical procedures. · Endoscopy Technicians · importance 4.9 · no direct exposure
• Harvest cell cultures using substances such as mitotic arrestants, cell releasing agents, and cell fixatives. · Cytogenetic Technologists · importance 4.9 · no direct exposure
• Draw blood from veins by vacuum tube, syringe, or butterfly venipuncture methods. · Phlebotomists · importance 4.8 · no direct exposure
• Cut sections of body tissues for microscopic examination, using microtomes. · Histotechnologists · importance 4.8 · no direct exposure
• Collect and study blood samples to determine the number of cells, their morphology, or their blood group, blood type, or compatibility for transfusion purposes, using microscopic techniques. · Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Obtain specimens, cultivating, isolating, and identifying microorganisms for analysis. · Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Collect blood, tissue, or other laboratory specimens, log the specimens, and prepare them for testing. · Medical Assistants · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Collect specimens at specific time intervals for tests, such as those assessing therapeutic drug levels. · Phlebotomists · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis. · Veterinarians · importance 4.6 · no direct exposure
• Obtain, cut, stain, and mount biological material on slides for microscopic study and diagnosis, following standard laboratory procedures. · Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Obtain specimens or samples for laboratory work. · Acute Care Nurses · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Collect specimens for laboratory tests. · Critical Care Nurses · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Collect, prepare, and label samples for laboratory testing, culture, or microscopic examination. · Veterinary Technologists and Technicians · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Collect laboratory specimens, such as blood, urine, or feces, for testing. · Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Collect blood or tissue samples from patients, observing principles of asepsis to obtain blood sample. · Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Draw blood from capillaries by dermal puncture, such as heel or finger stick methods. · Phlebotomists · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Draw blood from arteries, using arterial collection techniques. · Phlebotomists · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Insert arterial catheters or perform arterial punctures to obtain arterial blood samples. · Nurse Anesthetists · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Collect fluid or tissue samples, using appropriate collection procedures. · Phlebotomists · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Collect samples, such as blood, urine, or sputum from patients, and perform routine laboratory tests on samples. · Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Collect specimens for use in laboratory tests. · Midwives · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Perform nursing duties, such as administering medications, measuring vital signs, collecting specimens, or drawing blood samples. · Psychiatric Aides · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Perform annual gynecologic exams, including pap smears and breast exams. · Midwives · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Harvest cell cultures at optimum time, based on knowledge of cell cycle differences and culture conditions. · Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Obtain specimens by performing procedures, such as biopsies or fine needle aspirations (FNAs) of superficial nodules. · Physicians, Pathologists · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Collect specimens, such as urine, feces, or sputum. · Nursing Assistants · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Collect samples or specimens for diagnostic testing. · Anesthesiologist Assistants · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Perform venipuncture or skin pricking to collect blood samples. · Naturopathic Physicians · importance 3.7 · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Histology Technicians
• Endoscopy Technicians
• Cytogenetic Technologists
• Phlebotomists
• Medical Assistants
• Veterinarians
• Acute Care Nurses
• Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
• Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
• Nurse Anesthetists
• Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
• Midwives
• Psychiatric Aides
• Physicians, Pathologists
• Nursing Assistants
• Anesthesiologist Assistants
• Naturopathic Physicians

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-collect-biological-specimens-from-patients,
  title  = {Collect biological specimens from patients.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/collect-biological-specimens-from-patients}
}