Biotech In-Demand Job: Phlebotomist

A phlebotomist is responsible for completing several types of bloodwork activities, including the drawing of patient blood to conduct tests and to store blood donations. The career requires a strong academic background coupled with a number of personality traits that allow professionals in this field to thrive in high pressure conditions.

Overview of a Phlebotomist Career

Phlebotomists work in a wide variety of medical settings that include hospitals, nursing homes, blood donation centers and community health centers. The large number of possible venues to work means anyone pursuing this career must be able to adapt to rapidly changing patient needs. A clinical laboratory technologist or other medical professionals in management positions typically oversee the work performed by phlebotomists.

Because of the high demand for blood samples, open jobs in this career is expected to increase at a much faster rate than the job growth rate for most other types of career. The median pay for a phlebotomist in 2018 was nearly $35,000

Job Description

Here is a list of the most common job duties performed by phlebotomists:

• Confirm the identity of a patient or a donor
• Draw blood from donors and patients
• Label each vial accurately
• Use a database to input donor and patient information
• Organize and maintain medical tools and measuring instruments
• Maintain clean and sanitary work areas

One of the least discussed, but just as important job duty for a phlebotomist involves being able to communicate with patients to alleviate any concerns about a blood test or a blood donation. Medical professionals perform blood tests to reach a diagnosis for an illness, determine whether a patient needs to follow a more nutritious diet, and examine the side effects of certain medications.

Phlebotomists follow strict safety guidelines to ensure they do not come in direct contact with blood samples. Several infectious diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis, are contracted by coming in contact with tainted blood. Misidentifying a blood sample can also result in seriously negative health consequences because the healthcare professionals responsible for diagnosing illnesses and monitoring patient progress can make mistakes in their medical evaluations.

How to Become a Biopharma Phlebotomist

Professional in this field usually start the career by receiving a postsecondary degree that is awarded by a certified phlebotomy program. Community colleges, technical schools and vocational colleges offer phlebotomy programs. The programs typically take just under one year to complete and after finishing a phlebotomy program, a student receives a certificate verifying his or her professional acumen. Phlebotomy programs require students to participate in classroom discussions, perform intensive work in a laboratory and receive academic instruction about medical, anatomy and physiology terms. Some phlebotomists can start a career straight from high school by undergoing comprehensive on-the-job training.

Professional Licenses and Certifications

Virtually every employer that hires phlebotomists requires the professionals to earn a certification. Numerous non-profit organizations offer phlebotomist certification programs, including the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), the National Phlebotomy Association (NPA), and the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). Certification programs involve a little bit of classroom education, with the bulk of the academic work performed hands on by drawing blood and organizing blood vial inventories. Four states-Nevada, Washington, Louisiana, and California-require aspiring phlebotomists to earn a professional certification.

Skills Need to Become a Successful Phlebotomist

Thriving in a phlebotomist career involves much more than developing academic skills and knowledge. You also have to possess a few personality traits and physical skills to become a success as a phlebotomist.

Compassion

Although you understand the safety protocols put in place for the drawing of blood, some of your patients will not be as well-educated. This means you must have compassion for the patients that fear having their blood drawn.

Attention to Detail

Just one mislabeled vial of blood can send a testing laboratory back days, if not weeks to correct the misidentification. Phlebotomists must draw the right patient’s blood for the proper test to be conducted. They also must accurately track the movement of blood vials, as well as ensure none of the blood samples end up lost or misplaced.

Physical Stamina

This is a physically demanding job, as you can expect to remain on your feet for hours at a time. You can expect to move around a lot, which requires you to be in decent shape to withstand the rigorous daily physical demands of the job.

Dexterity

You will perform much of your work by using your hands, which means dexterity plays a huge role in determining the efficiency in which medical equipment is operated in a proper manner. Dexterity is also about having above average hand-eye coordination skills.

Compensation and Job Outlook

In May 2018, the median annual wage for a professional working as a phlebotomist was $34,480, which translates into a wage of $16.59 per hour. The lowest 10% of wage earners grossed less than $25,020 per year, while the highest wage earners in this career grossed more than $49,060.

Since blood work and analysis will remain a vital job function in hospitals and healthcare laboratories, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects the phlebotomist career to grow by nearly 23% between 2019 and 2028. The projected growth rate is much faster than the expected job growth rate for other careers.