Tag: phlebotomist

Have you had thoughts about making a change in your career by learning how to become a phlebotomist? Have you still postponed taking the steps towards that change?

Although it can feel overwhelming, transitioning into a phlebotomy career can be extremely rewarding. It can also be streamlined and quick! If you had taken the step just a short three and a half months ago, you could be standing here today as a trained phlebotomist.

The medical field is made up of many exciting careers requiring a range of skills and varying degrees of patient interaction. Phlebotomy is an essential area of medicine that requires scientific know-how, technical aptitude, and good interpersonal skills.

In this article, we define phlebotomy, explain how to become a phlebotomist, how much it costs, and how long it takes to become a phlebotomist, and discuss job prospects and salary expectations for phlebotomists.

Who Is a Phlebotomist?

First and foremost, it’s important to define the essential roles and responsibilities of a phlebotomist so that you can fully understand if this career choice is a good fit for you.

A phlebotomist is a vital member of a medical team, as they are the ones that draw blood from patients for medical analysis, donation, research, or transfusion.

Because people are generally uncomfortable with getting their blood taken, it’s a phlebotomist’s responsibility to make patients feel comfortable, and clearly communicate the collection process.

Furthermore, because of the nature of phlebotomy, phlebotomists need to be familiar with all policies and safety procedures in order to limit a patient’s risk of infection.

How To Become a Phlebotomist

These steps will guide you on how to become a phlebotomist:

• 1. Graduate high school or get a GED

The first step on how to become a phlebotomist is to have at minimum a high school diploma or GED certificate and be at least 18 years old. A high school diploma generally takes four years of study. Most people preparing to take a GED exam prepare for about three months.

• 2. Complete a phlebotomy training program

The second step on how to become a phlebotomist is to complete a training program. Research and choose the phlebotomy training program that suits your budget and schedule, enroll and successfully complete all coursework and practical training.

You may choose a certificate, diploma, or Associate Degree program in Phlebotomy from many different schools and hospitals. Phlebotomy training courses range from about four months to a year.

• 3. Get certified by a recognized body

The next step on how to become a phlebotomist is to get certified. Once your training is complete, you can seek certification from a nationally recognized certification organization like the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), or the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Other certification organizations are the National Phlebotomy Association (NPA), the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT), the American Medical Technologists (AMT), and the American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians (ASPT).

Becoming certified increases your opportunities for being hired, shows your commitment to your field and connects you to a network of other professionals who can assist you in your new career. The time it takes to become certified varies.

Once you have studied for, taken, and successfully passed the certification examination, you should receive your official certification in about two weeks.

• 4. Apply for positions and get a job

The next step on how to become a phlebotomist is to apply for phlebotomist positions. After completing your coursework and practical training and in possession of professional certification, you are now ready to enter the profession.

To search for a position, take advantage of employment resources your school offers, online job search sites, your personal and school networks, and professional organizations and certifying bodies to locate the position you want. There is no average for how long it takes to get hired.

• 5. Stay current as your industry changes

The last step on how to become a phlebotomist is to stay up to date with the developments in phlebotomy. While working as a phlebotomist, continue to read about advancements in the field, network with other medical professionals, join professional organizations and keep your certifications up to date. As in any profession, this step is ongoing.

How Much Do Phlebotomists Make

Another reason people won to know how to become a phlebotomist is the salary. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the median average range for phlebotomists was $37,710 as of May 2021. This means that 50 percent of phlebotomists made more than this amount, and 50 percent made less.

The BLS also states that employment in this field should have increased by 25 percent by 2026, with particularly good prospects for those who hold certification from a recognized professional association.

How Long Does It Take To Become a Phlebotomist?

When finding out how to become a phlebotomist one should consider the duration it will take. The good news is that some phlebotomy programs are designed to work with your busy schedule. Similar to most other Goodwin College healthcare programs, Goodwin College’s Certificate in Phlebotomy and Laboratory Services is highly flexible and convenient for students.

Goodwin’s Phlebotomy program takes only one semester to complete – that’s approximately only 15 weeks. It can also be completed at an accelerated, 7.5-week pace.

How Much Does It Cost To Become a Phlebotomist?

The most important point on how to become a phlebotomist is how much it costs. Costs associated with becoming a phlebotomist vary from school to school and state to state.

Accredited online training programs may cost as little as $300 or as much as $700-$800. In-person classroom phlebotomy training costs anywhere from about $700 to $1,400 or more.

Some employers, such as hospitals and the Red Cross, offer training to their employees at little or no cost. Initial phlebotomy certification ranges from about $80 to $150, with certification renewal charges varying. There will also be textbooks and other training materials to buy, so remember to include those costs when you are budgeting for your phlebotomy education.

Where Can a Phlebotomist Work

Since their work is versatile, phlebotomists are employed in a variety of places. Here are some examples of the typical health care settings where you can work as a phlebotomist:

• Hospitals

A lot of phlebotomists work in hospital settings. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 37% of phlebotomists are hired by the state, local, and private hospitals. In a hospital environment, phlebotomists are usually assigned to draw blood samples from patients, properly label the samples, and transport the samples to the laboratory for testing.

As a phlebotomist, you will interact with a wide spectrum of patients who need to have their blood drawn for diverse reasons, ranging from wellness checkups to screening tests for diseases. No matter what they’re being tested for, many people tend to feel anxious about having blood work done.

That’s why part of your responsibility is to calm the nerves of your patients and guide them throughout the process.

One of the benefits of working in a hospital as a phlebotomist is that you can collaborate with different types of healthcare professionals. Whether you consider your job as a phlebotomist technician as a stepping stone to another medical position or you plan to explore other roles in the phlebotomy field, there are important things you can learn from other professionals.

By getting to know your colleagues, you can learn about their role in the hospital, their daily work routines, and their professional journey in the healthcare world.

• Medical and Diagnostic Labs

Around 33% of phlebotomists in the US work in medical and diagnostic laboratories. Patients usually go to these laboratories if they just need a blood test and don’t require other medical care.

Phlebotomists who work in laboratories commonly draw blood from a lot of patients and process a lot of blood samples during a typical workday.

Here is the main reason why: Lab appointments are fast since they don’t usually involve as many detailed questions as a typical checkup in the hospital. The results of the lab tests, which phlebotomists help to facilitate, may either be picked up by the patients or sent directly to the patients’ doctors.

One advantage that lab phlebotomists have is that they get enough opportunities to actively practice and hone their blood drawing skills.

• Doctor’s Offices

Some doctors with private practice offices hire on-site phlebotomists for the convenience of their patients.

When you work at a physician’s office as a phlebotomist, the type of patients you will commonly encounter depends on the doctor’s specialty. You may have to face unique challenges based on the medical branch you are involved in. For instance, if you work in a pediatrician’s office, you will regularly need to calm down young patients before and after you draw their blood samples.

In general, phlebotomists who are employed in doctors’ offices enjoy a more relaxed, casual pace than their counterparts who work in fast-paced, busy laboratories.

• Outpatient Care Centers

There are outpatient care centers that recruit their own in-house phlebotomists. Ambulatory centers such as dialysis clinics, free health clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, free health clinics, and hospital outpatient departments provide health care on an outpatient basis.

Phlebotomists who practice in outpatient centers cater to patients who require blood work in relation to their medical treatment. Because of the roving nature of their work, they have the chance to meet people from all walks of life.

• Mobile Phlebotomists

Mobile phlebotomists visit the homes of patients who are not physically capable of going to a hospital or a laboratory. They perform blood collection for medical tests in the comfort of the patients’ homes.

Mobile phlebotomists commonly work for the Visiting Nurse Association or hospice organizations. Extra travel is a part of their job since they need to drop by different patients’ homes and to go to the laboratory to bring the samples.

Being a mobile phlebotomist is a perfect option for those who like being on the move.

• Blood Donation Centers and Blood Drives

Blood donation centers and blood drives are venues where the services of phlebotomists are central and highly essential.

Phlebotomists who work in blood donation centers usually deal with healthy people who wish to donate blood. The blood they collect is not used for medical tests; instead, it is given to patients who need blood.

The blood samples that phlebotomists draw from donors are commonly donated to patients in emergency rooms and intensive care units who have lost blood or suffered trauma due to accidents or illnesses. The recipients also include patients who need blood transfusions as part of their medical treatment for sickness or injuries.

FAQs about How To Become a Phlebotomist

• What is the best place to work as a phlebotomist?

Top-rated companies for Phlebotomists in the United States

1. Mako Medical Laboratories.
2. Bio-Reference Laboratories, Inc.
3. Quest Diagnostics.
4. Labcorp.
5. BioLife Plasma Services.

• Where do phlebotomists make the most money?

The metropolitan areas that pay the highest salary in the phlebotomist profession are Redding, San Diego, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and San Jose.

Redding, California. $52,770.

San Diego, California. $51,920.

Santa Rosa, California. $51,620.

Santa Cruz, California. $51,070.

San Jose, California. $50,710.

• How long should phlebotomy take?

You’ll need to complete 20 hours of training in a state-approved program to earn this certification. You’ll also need to perform 25 successful skin punctures on patients under the supervision of a clinical professional.

• What qualifications do I need to be a phlebotomist?

There are no set entry requirements to become a trainee phlebotomist. Employers usually ask for at least two GCSEs or equivalent.

They may ask for a BTEC or equivalent vocational qualification in health and social care or healthcare. Employers often ask for relevant work experience.

• How to become a phlebotomist

These steps will guide you on how to become a phlebotomist

1. Graduate high school or get a GED
2. Complete a phlebotomy training program
3. Get certified by a recognized body
4. Apply for positions and get a job

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Let us take a look at How to Become a Phlebotomist. A phlebotomist is in charge of health matters concerning the withdrawal of blood for diagnosis and donation, they are also responsible for inserting an intravenous line into a patient’s vein for treatments. 

This job requires individuals to get comfortable using the needles, collecting, labeling, and transmitting blood samples from the laboratory. This could be for diagnosis, building the blood bank, or administering treatment.

When it comes to the process and activities of recovering and maintaining good health, only experts are needed to be on deck as life is irreplaceable, that’s why expert Phlebotomist are usually needed in hospitals when it comes to handling patient’s blood.

All it takes to become an expert is to follow due procedures of learning and acquiring knowledge to be expertly dispensed.

If you have no phobia for blood or you are interested in helping patients through coming in contact with their blood for diagnosis and treatment, then becoming a phlebotomist is a great career to delve into.

How to Become a Phlebotomist; overview

Phlebotomists are also referred to as Phlebotomy technicians. Through venipuncture, they draw blood samples from patients in hospitals, blood banks; label and store them in blood containers for the process of diagnosis in the medical laboratory.

A phlebotomist must be knowledgeable about the medicine as they will be relating with clinical doctors and nurses.

To carry out their job effectively, they work under the supervision of the manager in a medical laboratory as the blood samples processed are taken to the medical laboratory.

In addition, they facilitate the donation of blood as they are in charge of collecting blood from donors after the verification by a qualified medic.

This duty they carry out by making the donor feel comfortable and less anxious while donating blood.

They draw blood and collect other tissue fluid as a specimen for the laboratory, label them properly to avoid the wrong diagnosis; they then transport them to the laboratory for testing.

The phlebotomist makes the job of the medical laboratory’s workers, doctors, nurses much easier, and the diagnosis of patients easy; this makes the treatment process defined.

Training and Education Required to Becoming a Phlebotomist

Acquiring knowledge cannot be overemphasized. In any field or profession, learning is necessary to becoming a professional.

Learning to become a professional phlebotomist comes with ease as far as the effort, dedication, and zeal to learn to exist within you, efforts put in place to get trained to become an expert will feel seamless. Outlined below are easy steps to becoming a phlebotomist:

Build an educational Background: The duration of training depends on the background education the individual has acquired.

To become a phlebotomist, it is necessary to have gone to a high school where background subjects on sciences would have been taught.

Normally, the intentional learning scheme to become a phlebotomist is between eight weeks to a year this is determinant both by the educational background of the aspirant and the school’s system.

The majority of a phlebotomist is trained by the institutions where they work. While in training, they take courses in health, sciences, and even psychology so that they can learn good patients’ relations to ensure proper treatment and comfort.

Attain Advanced Knowledge: Some phlebotomist might decide to get advanced knowledge in the field, this could be acquired in a community college or vocational institute or even career schools approved by the National Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences [NAACLS]; this is to ensure that quality education is given to students of phlebotomy.

In any of these approved institutions, you will be acquiring a High Diploma or GED in phlebotomy where you can learn to become a professional.

Immediately after gaining admission into any of these institutions, you pay your tuition fee and proceed to learn to become a professional.

While in any of these institutions, it is wise to get a good grasp of knowledge and experience by compulsorily adhering to instructions laid down at clinical hours; this is to give a first-hand experience of handling patients’ blood for either diagnosis or treatment.

While training, you will also learn more about medical terms as you will be working for hand in glove with the nurses and medical doctors.

Also, you will learn about anatomy because you will be puncturing the body of patients with needles; you will be in contact with the vein and other related body parts when dealing with their blood, hence, it is necessary to learn about the structure of the body.

Get Certified: Some phlebotomists might decide to get a national certificate; certification increases the chance of employability as it proves that you are knowledgeable about your practice.

Hence, get certified by the National Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences [NAACLS] or any recognized organization in your region.

In addition, you will be able to confidently meet other professionals in the field. This will augment your knowledge and increase the quality of your services to patients.

Certification by the approved body of your region gives you an edge to practice and to do nobly; you might want to consider getting certified by the approved body for phlebotomists.

Start Practice: The way to practice the knowledge acquired is to get a job where you can continuously attend to patients.

Over time, you would become a professional who dispenses duty with ease. Since it’s a medical field, you will be getting jobs in the hospitals, medical laboratories where patients go for treatment.

Also, While in contact with patients, you will be doing venipuncture by using the needles to puncture patients’ veins to get their blood samples for diagnosis or to fetch their blood while donating to the blood bank or to give treatment through the intravenous line.

While in practice, build more passion around the job so that your patients can enjoy the benefits of the dispensation of your duty. If you get to practice in the facility that got you trained, give it your best shot so that they can feel the impact of the training on you and the medical outfit.

Who Does a Phlebotomist Relate With?

Since phlebotomist deals with taking blood samples and other tissue fluid from patients, they relate with patients who need their blood drawn out of their body, either for diagnosis or to build up bank blood.

They also relate donors of blood to patients who need blood transfusion; they assist them in drawing out pints of blood.

In addition, they relate with patients who need the intravenous line fixed to their vein for treatment, and sometimes, for expertly drawing out blood samples through the line. Professionals are expected to do this job, that is why it is necessary to get properly trained.

Also, they work as team members with doctors, nurses, medical laboratory workers to bring out the best treatment and recovery process for patients in the hospitals.

Jobs for Phlebotomist

Generally, phlebotomists work in the health sector. They work in hospitals, medical diagnostic laboratories, disease research centers, and blood banks.

As far as diagnosis through blood samples is being carried out, phlebotomists are needed. Therefore, they will get the medical staffing to perform this duty for the growth of the health sector.

In the US for example, about 23 thousand full-time phlebotomists are needed in the nearest future to work in these medical outfits.

This goes to show how promising the field of phlebotomy is, so if you are considering a career path along this line, it isn’t a bad idea as it carries a lot for you; all you need is to learn, become a professional and then practice by getting involved in the healing process of patients.

There are no loose ends for you when you become a phlebotomist; you will be winning on all sides as you will be making a living out of the profession and also tending to the diagnostic and recovery process of your patients.

The functions of phlebotomists are also needed and employed in ambulatory care, outpatient care centers, and some physician offices. Hence, opportunities abound for you if intending to become a phlebotomist; just follow due processes to becoming one.

 Other skills and Requirements Phlebotomists should Possess

Beyond the certification and other formal education, some traits make one stand out as a phlebotomist; possessing these additional skills enhances the quality of service rendered during the dispensation of their duties.

A phlebotomist should be comfortable working with the needles because this is the major tool used on patients.

If the phlebotomist finds it hard to get comfortable with puncturing patients, this might put more anxiety into the patient, it might lead to several puncturing and even distort accuracy when trying to find the right point venipuncture.

Another skill that is pertinent in aiding the proper dispensation of phlebotomy is meticulosity. The phlebotomist must always be observant and ensure that full attention to detail is paid in all the processes of venipuncture.

The process of drawing blood samples has to be done gently and correctly by finding the right vein spot, also, the phlebotomist must ensure that the labeling process is correct to avoid mix up of diagnosis and in the ripple effect of wrong administration of treatment as the other medical professionals would trust and work with outputs from other team members.

Even the transportation of the samples must be done with correctness and safety. The case of corrupted samples has to be avoided to ensure that the actual result is gotten.

If any mistake occurs while labeling and transporting, it may cause serious adverse effects on the patients and if not quickly rectified could lead to more damages and in extreme cases, death.

Hence, a phlebotomist must possess the characteristic of observance, paying attention to all details and correctness. Striving for perfection should be a natural thing for a phlebotomist. These skills if not gotten naturally, can always be acquired.

The phlebotomist should also learn good relation and communication skills as they will be relating with patients whose blood needs to be drawn out.

It is psychologically imbalanced to draw blood out of a human, hence, phlebotomists need to learn how to communicate with patients in a soothing manner and put them at ease to allow their blood samples to be taken easily.

That is why in the course of the training or education in the approved institutions, psychology is offered to students so that they can know how to handle different patients in the right way to get the best result while dispensing their duties.

Team spirit is an essential skill for anyone who works in the health sector. This skill shouldn’t be lacking in a professional phlebotomist.

They must learn to dispense their duty while working hands in gloves with other medical practitioners in achieving the same goal of healing and recovery of patients. They often work under the supervision of the medical laboratory manager who transfers the test result or pints of blood getting to the doctors and nurse while giving treatments.

Final Words on How to Become a Phlebotomist

Choosing to learn and become a professional in the field of Phlebotomy is a great one as you are going to be part o the process of bringing recovery to the patients you come in contact with, this is a noble act and an important impact on humanity.

While you engage in this profession, you will eventually be earning cash for livelihood. In any field, of which phlebotomy isn’t excluded, becoming a professional need you to input your dedication towards acquiring knowledge, which entails that from high school to acquiring a diploma or GED, down to certification and actual practice with real-time patients, ensure that you dedicate your energy and time to learning and following instructions during the clinical hour to make sure that you learn to give out the best while dispensing your duty.

After the training process, you have little or no fear of employment as there are lots of opportunities for medical staffing as a phlebotomist.

Hospitals, medical and diagnostic centers, ambulatory health cares, and other related medical bodies require the service of a phlebotomist. Choosing to become one is a great and noble thing to do, start right away!

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