Phlebotomist

Overview and Key Facts

What Do They Do?

A phlebotomist could...

Overview Listen to this section

If you like working with patients while also being up and mobile during the work-day, a career in Phlebotomy may be for you! A phlebotomist works with patients to collect and manage blood samples. During the day you may help calm patients' nerves, collect blood samples, or dispose of biohazardous material — all while working in a fast-growing career field!

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Phlebotomist?

1. Service Orientation: ? Actively looking for ways to help people.
2. Social Perceptiveness: ? Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
3. Active Listening: ? Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
4. Speaking: ? Talking to others to convey information effectively.
5. Critical Thinking: ? Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

6. Coordination: ? Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
7. Writing: ? Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
8. Monitoring: ? Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
9. Reading Comprehension: ? Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
10. Time Management: ? Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Phlebotomist might do:

• Dispose of contaminated sharps, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, and policies.
• Organize or clean blood-drawing trays, ensuring that all instruments are sterile and all needles, syringes, or related items are of first-time use.
• Draw blood from veins by vacuum tube, syringe, or butterfly venipuncture methods.
• Match laboratory requisition forms to specimen tubes.
• Conduct standards tests, such as blood alcohol, blood culture, oral glucose tolerance, glucose screening, blood smears, or peak and trough drug levels tests.
• Dispose of blood or other biohazard fluids or tissue, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, or policies.
• Collect specimens at specific time intervals for tests, such as those assessing therapeutic drug levels.
• Process blood or other fluid samples for further analysis by other medical professionals.
• Provide sample analysis results to physicians to assist diagnosis.
• Enter patient, specimen, insurance, or billing information into computer.
• Document route of specimens from collection to laboratory analysis and diagnosis.
• Draw blood from capillaries by dermal puncture, such as heel or finger stick methods.
• Conduct hemoglobin tests to ensure donor iron levels are normal.
• Transport specimens or fluid samples from collection sites to laboratories.
• Collect fluid or tissue samples, using appropriate collection procedures.
• Explain fluid or tissue collection procedures to patients.
• Train other medical personnel in phlebotomy or laboratory techniques.