It is possible to enter a health care profession without becoming a nurse or a doctor. Medical careers are in demand, and many of them don’t require you to complete years of schooling. One of these careers is that of the phlebotomist. This is a career that is usually based in the hospital setting, but can also be found in clinics, health care centers, diagnostic centers, private labs, and even in smaller institutions dealing with research. The phlebotomist is the professional who is directly responsible for drawing blood from patients for analysis.
If you want to involve yourself in this career, here are some steps on how to become a phlebotomist.
- Determine if this is the appropriate medical career for you. Make sure that you have the necessary attributes required of a phlebotomist. If you are afraid of bodily fluids, especially blood, you should probably think of some other career that doesn’t involve drawing blood from patients. This is a career best for those who can perform under pressure, those with steady hands, and especially, those with a calming and reassuring demeanor. Remember, you will be dealing with anxious patients, so your bedside manner will matter as much as, or even more than, your clinical skills.
- Duties and responsibilities. Phlebotomists are responsible for obtaining blood from patients in one of three ways.
- Blood can be obtained by doing a finger stick, for instance for blood glucose levels or to fill micro-containers of blood for other lab tests.
- Blood can also be obtained by doing a venipuncture. This involves placing a tourniquet around a limb to distend a vein and puncture that vein with a sterile needle and attach a container to withdraw the blood from the vein. The blood is then placed in the appropriate containers for processing. There are many different types of blood tubes that require differing amounts of blood for the proper test to be run.
- The third way to obtain blood requires specialized training. It involves puncturing an artery to obtain blood. This method is not used for routine testing and only a few phlebotomists are trained to do the procedure.
- Educational requirements. There is very little standardization for formal training for phlebotomists. The one constant is a high school diploma or GED. Some states require a formalized training program, others do not. Some facilities do on-the-job training. Others will favor or even require a formalized phlebotomy be taken even though it is not legally required. Phlebotomist courses may take up to six months, or even more, depending on the program in which you enroll. If you’re interested in pursuing medical training to become a phlebotomist, you can get started by enrolling in an accredited online university or a local college. This training for phlebotomists will involve studies on theoretical subjects, and hands on demonstration of skills. You will work with patients directly, but under the supervision of a licensed phlebotomist or health care professional. To be able to complete this to the satisfaction of National Occupational Standards, you will have to learn about home visits, satellite clinics, acute ward patients, out-patients and other fields of phlebotomy.
- You may need a license. This varies from state to state, so make sure you are aware of the requirements for the place in which you want to practice. In states that do not require licensure you will be able to start work after graduation.
- Become certified. Certification and licensure is sometimes used interchangeably in this field. Typically certifications are granted by organizations, licensure is governed by each state. Some states require certification before you are allowed to practice in the state, which is usually the domain of licensing boards. Be that as it may, be sure to check what the rule is to practice in your state. This is absolutely essential. California is just instituting three levels of certification. The Limited Phlebotomy Technician, the Certified Phlebotomy Technician I and the Certified Phlebotomy Technician II.
- Salary. The hourly wage range is between $10 and $14.
- Job outlook. Phlebotomist job growth is expected to be around 14% for the next ten years. It may take a little time to get a job as experience is highly valued, but there is generally enough turn over that you will not have to wait long. Keep your eyes open for any job where you can get experience.
Medical work in a phlebotomist job is not for the faint of heart. You will be doing a painful procedure to patients of all ages in order to make him or her better. This career is very intertwined with other laboratory jobs. Several different lab personnel can draw blood so some people use this position as an entry level position to see if they like the laboratory enough to make it a career and then return for additional schooling. Remember that this is a rapidly expanding career, so you may want to consider this if job security is one of your concerns.