A phlebotomist job description can be described as someone who works in the healthcare field. They use needles, tourniquets, alcohol preparation pads, and blood collection vials to draw blood from a vein in a patient’s arm. Occasionally the arm is not the best place to draw blood and a phlebotomist will need to use skilled training to determine a spot on that particular patient’s body to get a sample from.
Phlebotomist Job Description Duties
Another part of a phlebotomist job description is the transportation of blood. Vials of blood are labeled with patient information and delivered to a lab for tests. Phlebotomists also preform many basic diagnostic tests on blood. Of course, since blood is a bodily fluid, a phlebotomist must always be careful while transporting and disposing of it after tests.
Phlebotomist Job Description Locations
Places of employment are also part of a phlebotomist job description. Hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, and blood banks are common places of employment for a phlebotomist. Even the smallest doctor clinics and largest hospitals need phlebotomists. In fact, even some veterinary clinics hire phlebotomists for the drawing of blood from animals. Phlebotomists typically work 40 hour work weeks, though a phlebotomist working for a blood bank may work evenings and weekends during a blood drive. Mobile phlebotomists may also go to the homes of those who cannot make it into a clinic, such as the terminally ill or the elderly.
Phlebotomist Job Description Requirements
Job requirements for a phlebotomist vary from state to state. Most require a certification of completion of class, and a number of clinical hours working with a licensed phlebotomist. The class generally consists of learning the tools of phlebotomy, working with patients, discovering the best places on a patient’s body to draw blood from, proper handling on bodily materials, laboratory safety, etc. After the required number of clinical hours is completed a license will be rewarded. Most phlebotomists hold other certificates or degrees, such as an associate or bachelor degree. California is the toughest of all the states in which to obtain a phlebotomy certificate, as their rules are quite strict.
The average salary for a phlebotomist is $37,150 as of May 2008, which averages $17.86 an hour. Obviously, the more experience you have the more that salary figure increases. The workplace market for phlebotomists is on the rise. It is predicted there will be a 16% increase in jobs for laboratory technicians between 2008-2018. This rise is caused by an increase in blood tests to diagnose medical conditions, possibly linked to a larger population of people living longer lives.
If you are considering a career as a phlebotomist, it would be wise to start with your education now. The need for healthcare workers is only set to rise. By completing your certification now, you will be able to find a job quite quickly after graduation. In addition, by getting into phlebotomist job description now, over time you will have seniority over other individuals who might start in this field later on.
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