Phlebotomist work | Phlebotomist employment, description and duties | Phlebotemist
An integral part of the health care team, phlebotomist technician jobs are available for those who have the skill and proper training. Gone are the days when a phlebotomy work is simply someone who can
stick a needle in a patient's arm and get blood out. Today, in addition to being able to obtain an appropriate specimen, the technician must have other skills also integrating them into the healthcare team.
The job of phlebotomist technicians job provides a combination of laboratory work with patient contact. The phlebotomists job is not only to draw blood samples from patients but the samples must be labeled, prepared, and stored in ways appropriate to their use for specific testing. Since certain laboratory tests are done on whole blood, others on just plasma or cells, specimens must be separated and/or mixed with certain chemicals at the time they are drawn. The phlebotomist technician must know the proper procedure for each test or the result will be inaccurate.
In the day of information technology, specimens must also be appropriately labeled. Information from the laboratory tests will need to be disseminated properly to ordering physician(s), and often times hospitals and other health care providers. The phlebotomist technician will need the technical skills to manage these information systems as well as the skill to disseminate this information to the appropriate healthcare providers when necessary.
Jobs in the healthcare industry are currently plentiful and phlebotomy employment is no exception. The phlebotomist technician can work in a variety of settings from laboratory draw stations, blood banks, physician offices, and clinics to hospitals and outpatient surgery centers. Many phlebotomist combine these skills with those of other laboratory specialist to give their job a larger scope. Another common avenue of training is to add the training and experience of an ECG technician making the phlebotomist more versatile. With added skills their usefulness in the physician office or outpatient center is greater.
There are some risks involved in being a phlebotomist technician. Phlebotomist work is not all fun and games, Handling blood and blood products puts the phlebotomist at risk for diseases such as HIV and more importantly hepatitis B and C. It is important that persons pursuing a career as a phlebotomist technician be appropriately vaccinated prior to coming in contact with patients. It is also important that the protocols to protect both the technician and the patient are always strictly maintained.
Phlebotomist work is also an excellent job for the person wishing to return to the work force or to change careers. Due to the relatively short course requirements that may be fulfilled at a local college or allied health school, a phlebotomist technician student could be ready for employment within one year or less.
As a vital part of the healthcare team, a phlebotomist technician is a position with a combination of direct patient care, laboratory, and information technology skills. A variety of working environments are available and the future outlook for job availability and salaries are excellent in this field. A career as a phlebotomist technician would be an excellent choice for someone desiring employment in direct patient care within the healthcare industry.
Phlebotomy Technician education | Phlebotomist Technician Education | Phlebotemist Tech Education Requirements
Education for a phlebotomist technician is open to those persons 18 years of age and above who have a high school diploma or have a Graduate Equivalency Degree. The Phlebotomy education program typically consists of eighty hours of combined classroom and clinical work. This is followed by a certification exam that will assure future employers of the phlebotomist competency and level of skill.
A typical Phlebotemist Tech education will cost around $1,000 for tuition if taken through a local college. Private institutions offering these courses are slightly more expensive. Books, fees, and uniforms are an additional cost as are the fees for certification examinations. There are scholarships and loans available as the job demand is there and future employers will fund training to meet the demand.
The certification examination is through the American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians. It is a comprehensive exam. Areas of testing include anatomy, physiology, phlebotomy techniques, and phlebotomy procedures. Many employers will require hands on experience as well as classroom and certification credentials. Experience can be obtained through an internship in a hospital or laboratory setting. In some cases an internship can be completed in a physician’s office. In addition to allowing the phlebotomist technician an opportunity to learn and improve technical skills, the internship is a chance to see what it is like to work in various healthcare settings.
Phlebotomy Technician Salary| Phlebotomist Tech | Phlebotemist Tech Salary compensation and job growth
The phlebotomy technician salary begins between $11 to $12 per hour with benefits such as vacation time, sick leave, and health insurance. An average starting salary will be around $25,000 with most phlebotomist technicians salaries reaching a maximum salary of around $40,000 with twenty years or more of experience. Advanced training and management responsibilities are ways to increase salary and benefits along with broadening job opportunities. Job growth is estimated to grow significantly in the coming years as the baby boomers generation matures.
Phlebotomy Employment opportunities
Phlebotomy Employment: An Exciting Career!
Blood has often been referred to as the “Elixir of Life.” If that is indeed true, than phlebotomy employment offers an exciting career choice that ensures this elixir is properly extracted and fed. In terms of patient care, blood-work in its many forms can be the terrifying part of a hospital stay. Fear of needles and the sight of blood can affect children as well as adults. It’s no wonder then, that a skilled phlebotomist knows not only how to calm a patient’s fears but also perform their job in a timely manner.
Career Guide
Phlebotomy employment as a phlebotomist involves not only drawing blood from patients or blood donors for medical testing, but can also include peripheral duties such as measuring blood pressure, respiration rate and the patient's pulse. Other duties can include updating patient records, preparing blood stains, not to mention cleaning and sterilizing needles and related equipment.
But phlebotomy employment is more than just pricking someone with a needle. Every time a phlebotomist takes and analyzes a blood sample, they are in effect amending a patient's blood history. And simply put, this history is an integral part of a patient's health profile that stays with the patient throughout their life and can impact any number of healthcare and medical procedures.
Stay Certified
Certification is optional for phlebotomy employment, but highly recommended, because most employers require it. Phlebotomists must recertify each year to maintain their certification. The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), American Medical Technologists (AMT) and the American Society for Phlebotomy Technicians (ASPT) are just a few of the organizations that offer national certification and testing and which awards phlebotomists the title Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) or Registered Phlebotomy Technician (RPT).
Phlebotomy Courses
In order to engage in phlebotomy employment, individuals are required to have at least a GED or high school diploma in addition to the successful completion of an accredited phlebotomist program. Typically, phlebotomy courses include classes on anatomy and circulatory system physiology in addition to current phlebotomy techniques. Students will also need to suppliment their classwork with on-the-job training in the deleicate art of drawing blood through vein and skin punctures.
One of the most overlooked pointers directed at those who draw blood specimens for a living focuses on psychology, as the phlebotomist must know how to deal with skittish patients in order to minimize the trauma of phlebotomy.
Phlebotomist Salary
The American Society of Clinical Pathologists reports that phlebotomy employment salary averages can range from $25,000-29,000. Meaning that phlebotomy employment offers individuals the chance to earn a good living and provide an important service to the community.
California Phlebotomy Certification
Becoming Certified as a phlebotomist in California
Medical professions such as Phlebotomist are very much in demand right now. 
One medical career many people may choose to pursue is that of a phlebotomist, which is the technician that draws blood samples from patients. The process for becoming a phlebotomist varies from state to state, so it's important that you understand what it entails in your state. The following steps are required in order to begin practicing phlebotomy in California.
First, you must receive a high school diploma or GED. You will need proof of this when applying to become a phlebotomist in California. The certificate itself serves as your proof of completion, but transcripts will need to be sent in directly from your high school, not from you.
Next, you have to complete phlebotomy training at a state-approved school or training facility. A minimum of 40 hours of classroom instruction is required. Upon completion of this training program, you will receive a certificate which serves as your proof of completion.
You will also need to pass an exam that is administered by a certification institution. This institution must not only be nationally recognized, but also approved by the California Department of Health Services.
Proof of clinical training and experience is also required with your phlebotomist application. You are required to have a minimum of 40 hours of clinical experience, including at least 50 venipuncture and 10 skin puncture blood draws on real patients while under a trainer's supervision.
Once you have completed all your education, exam, and training requirements, you may apply for your phlebotomy license. Along with the application, you must submit proof that you meet all the minimum qualifications, which means copies of your education certificate, exam, and letter attesting to blood draw experience, 2 passport sized photos, and a $54 application fee in check or money order form only. All documents must be submitted by mail, and applications may take up to 60 days to process.
After you successfully obtain your California phlebotomy license, you will be required to take ongoing classes to keep your license. A California phlebotomy license is good for 2 years, and each time you renew, you must submit proof of no less than 6 hours of continuing education that you've completed over the previous 2 years. No additional exams are required to renew your phlebotomy license.
Hospital Phlebotomy | Hospital Phlebotomist
A Career in Hospital Phlebotomy
Having a career in hospital phlebotomy can be a very rewarding experience. This job is an important part of helping hospital physicians diagnose patients correctly. Since having bloodwork taken is almost a given anytime a patient needs to be in a hospital, this can be a stable, secure job to have. Even in times where cutbacks may need to be made, there will always be a need for hospital phlebotomists. There are many different areas of a hospital where a phlebotomist will play an important part of the team. This can range from working in an emergency room, to a pediatrics wing, to working in the hospital lab managing the blood tests of all patients.
In an emergency room setting, phlebotomists can play one of the most important parts in the care of the patient. When patients come to an emergency department of a hospital it is because there is an evident need for urgent care. Blood tests are standard procedure in determining what type of care they may need. The sooner those tests can be taken and the faster the results are received, the more quickly an urgent care patient can be treated.
Phlebotomy also plays a very important role in the care of young patients in the pediatrics wing. Many childhood illnesses can only be diagnosed by taking samples of blood by a phlebotomist. The blood sample is then sent to the hospital lab where it is tested for certain diseases or infections. The work done by a phlebotomist can potentially save the life of a child by helping the physician to make the correct diagnosis.
Most hospital labs also employ phlebotomists for taking blood samples of patients on a regular basis. This can occur when patients need to have blood glucose levels, cholesterol levels, or iron levels tested frequently. Certain tests, such as having blood drawn to determine pregnancy, are also an area where phlebotomists are needed. If pregnancy is suspected, it is common for patients to go to a hospital lab to have blood drawn and tested.
Choosing a career as a hospital phlebotomy can also be financially stable. Most phlebotomists start out at making an average of $10 an hour at entry level and can make up to $18 an hour as more yearly experience is gained. This pay rate may also vary according to the state that you live in or work in. Many benefits, such as health, dental, & life insurance, yearly paid vacations, and accrued sick days also accompany being employed as a hospital phlebotomist. A career as a hospital phlebotomist will allow you to feel proud that you are helping doctors to cure illnesses while also helping you to earn a good living.
What is Phlebotomy?
What is Phlebotomy?
What is phlebotomy? Phlebotomy is actually the act of extracting blood from a person's veins, capillaries, or arteries with the use of needles. The actual word Phlebotomy comes from the Greek word root phleb/o, which means vein. The word torn means to puncture, and the suffix -y which means process. When you put it all together it spells out "process of puncturing veins".
The Ancient Greeks are recognized as the first to use phlebotomy or amongst the first to "invent" phlebotomy, but this was not collection of blood for diagnostic testing. Phlebotomy was invented around the time of Hippocrates. The person who invented phlebotomy is not known. In ancient times, all the way up to the 19th century, they would use blood as an attempt to cure illnesses and disease. They would usually withdrawal large amounts of blood for these practices. This practice was known as "bloodletting". The practice has been largely abandoned due to its modern medicine and proven ineffectiveness. The practice was also known in Islamic medicine. It was thought to be passed on by the Greeks.
In the early 1800s, when it was discovered that bloodletting was proven ineffective as far as removing disease from the blood, that is when phlebotomy was introduced. There are some that claim that phlebotomy is just a new name for bloodletting. Rather than being used for treatment treatment, phlebotomy had become part of a diagnostic process.
When blood is extracted, it is used for diagnostic purposes to determine the patient's health condition. It is used to test blood sugar levels for people with diabetes. DNA tests and pregnancy tests are easily performed with blood samples. It is also used for blood transfusions. Many dangerous and/or deadly diseases would go undiagnosed without the discovery of phlebotomy.
Phlebotomy is an almost necessary part of today's modern health care industry. A licensed phlebotomy technician is authorized to extract blood from a patient. The area is sterilized against infection with a swab of isopropyl alcohol. The technician punctures the skin with the tip of the needle and slowly inserts it into the vein. She will then draw back the plunger on the syringe to take the sample. She will then simply remove the tube. The most common way for blood to be collected is by a vacuum tube, which allows for blood to be drawn quickly and easily. There are very minor risks to having blood withdrawn. The most common are minor infections in the area where the needle has punctured the skin. More dangerous issues can arise if non-sterile materials are used for phlebotomy. This is why it is so important that needles are never to be reused and the skin surrounding the vein is sterilized with alcohol.