The job of a phlebotomist varies from one working facility to the other. Whatever they task may be, their job is always vital. If you are a phlebotomist, there is definitely no room for any neglect of task. The phlebotomists work in blood hospitals, clinics, medical laboratories, blood banks or any pharmaceutical companies. There are also some that works in physician offices, medical institutions and other health care agencies. A phlebotomist career is surely one of the most in demand job nowadays as people needing health care increases.
The part of a phlebotomist’s job is interacting with other members of the health care team like doctors, nurses and so on. It is important for phlebotomists to be active and direct in dealing with their patients. Since they are interacting with different kinds of people, phlebotomists must wear protective gears like gloves and scrubs. This is important since they are taking blood or tissue samples from the patients and proper handling is needed in analyzing and testing these specimens in the laboratory. Since they are using a lot of instruments and equipments it is vital for them to know how to use every equipment properly either during drawing or analyzing the samples. It is crucial for phlebotomist to preserve the integrity of the samples. When these samples are contaminated it would not be useful and may lead to misdiagnosis. It is also important for the phlebotomists to ensure the safety of the patient and as well as their own safety. It is essential to update the task or duties of a phlebotomist since in the medical field they must add up to what they have already provided for.
Phlebotomists work in hospitals, physician’s offices and blood banks. Most of them work 40 hours a week for full time and 20 hours for those working as part time phlebotomist’s. The training in becoming a phlebotomist varies. Most phlebotomist enters this career with a bachelor degree. An associate degree is required for them to be able to perform complex clinical testing procedures. Aspiring phlebotomists can receive trainings through different training programs, vocation schools, universities, colleges and certification programs. Some phlebotomist schools give certificates while other offers degrees like a bachelor and associate degree. Other schools award a master’s degree that will enable them to do advanced work and opportunities in having a job position as a laboratory manager or medical technologists. Admission requirements needed for the phlebotomy training varies from one program to another. These schools offer theoretical instructions on subjects like microbiology, medical technology, chemistry, statistics, management, business and computers.
So how much is the salary of phlebotomist? The phlebotomist salary is dependent on certain factors like experience and location. In experience, the hourly wage of a phlebotomist can increase with their number of years of experience. Phlebotomist with less than a year of experience can earn an average of $9 to $12 an hour whole those with more than 20 years of experience can earn $14 to $18 an hour. The location also plays a role in the hourly wage since top paying state will pay $10 and $14 an hour.
