Health Career: Phlebotomist
Who are phlebotomists and what do they do?
Phlebotomists’ help people learn about the health of their blood. They work directly with patients in preparing them for blood tests and taking their blood. They then give the blood samples to medical lab technologists to run tests to search for disease. Phlebotomists may also help prepare and process these tests. In addition, they can make photographic slides of a person's blood cells.
How do phlebotomists typically spend their workday?
As a phlebotomist, you will generally work in a hospital or health clinic. You will divide your time between taking blood from patients and working in a laboratory setting up tests for studying blood. For example, a doctor may ask you to take a blood sample from a patient who has an open wound that he or she got from a parasite while traveling abroad. You will draw blood from the patient, bring the blood to the lab and set up appropriate tests to run on this blood. Or a doctor could ask you to take a throat culture from a patient and bring it to the lab to test if the patient has strep throat. You will help lab technologists process test results and update patient records. You may also prepare slides of blood specimens for doctors to analyze.
What does it take to be a good phlebotomist?
If you want to work closely with people and help them learn about their health, you should consider becoming a phlebotomist. You should be compassionate and understanding because you must be able to soothe people who are nervous about having their blood drawn. You should also have good communication skills and enjoy working with others. You must be detail-oriented and be able to follow instructions from a supervisor.
What are some health-related jobs that are similar to that of a phlebotomist?
Medical laboratory technician, dental assistant, medical assistant.
Related links and helpful information:
- American Association of Blood Banks
- All Allied Health Schools – Become a Phlebotomist
- American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians
