Type and Screen

Ours is 2 vials but we do it from the same site at the same time. It requires dual sign off that you verified the patient identity so once I've drawn the specimen I flag down a nurse thats walking by to sign off of it. 

I've never heard of this practice but suspect like you that it's a reflex to a fatal error or near miss.  I think the better alternative would be what one poster mentioned about having a second nurse witness.  The process you described sounds time consuming, which could further delay type specific transfusions.  And with the amount of blood required for two full tubes could be detrimental in patients who are already severely anemic or in shock.  

mdsRN2005 said:

I've never heard of this practice but suspect like you that it's a reflex to a fatal error or near miss.

As mentioned and linked previously it is a standard of the American Association of Blood Banks, not a reactionary policy by an isolated hospital.

JKL33 said:

As mentioned and linked previously it is a standard of the American Association of Blood Banks, not a reactionary policy by an isolated hospital.

Interesting article. I would note however that this organization is a membership association and not an accrediting body.  As such, hospitals would not be required to follow this groups recommendations.  And as you mentioned it's an undated article, so it would be hard to determine if this article or organization contributed to OP's hospital changing their policy. In my experience sudden policy changes like this, in this absence of new research or regulatory requirements, are often due to near miss events.