Phlebotomists – A Key Healthcare Professional
Date: January 16, 2019
A phlebotomist specializes in drawing blood for various purposes, such as lab tests and blood donations. Mostly, physicians and nurses don’t perform the act of drawing blood from patients themselves. Instead, they have a phlebotomist to take care of that.
A phlebotomist usually collects blood from patients by making a puncture in their veins. This process is called phlebotomy, and it’s also called blood draw or venesection. This process of making venal puncture is meant only for collecting a considerable amount of blood for testing or blood transfusion. In the case of capturing small quantities of blood, phlebotomists usually go for a finger prick. A finger prick is used to collect a small amount of blood from the patient’s body, usually a few droplets.
The usual procedure is to make a small opening in the patient’s thumb and collect a few drops into a capillary. This process is rapid and is done only in the case of babies and elders. In the case of newborns, phlebotomists go for heel pricks, which do not cause any damage to the skin, as the newborn babies are tiny.
Phlebotomists don’t usually give intravenous, intramuscular, or subcutaneous injections. Also, they do not administer intravenous drugs or any other kind of fluids for patients. As these things do not come under their expertise, trained nurses or physicians usually perform these tasks. However, they collect urine and other bodily fluids to perform urine tests, stools test, and other similar tests.
The qualification and education of phlebotomists differ from country to country. For example, in the UK, a phlebotomist needs not to have any certification or license, as he only needs to undergo training, which is often given on the job. In New Zealand, a phlebotomist must have a high school certificate and a First Aid certificate, as other skills are taught on the job. They need to take a Cert III Phlebotomy course in Australia, which is a course accredited nationally. In the United States, the requirements for a phlebotomist differ from state to state.
During their education program or on the job training, phlebotomists are trained in various skills, including but not limited to:
- Blood drawing techniques
- Anatomy
- Precautions and safety measures to be followed
- Legal aspects of phlebotomy
- Patient interaction
- Universal standards in phlebotomy
- Basic first aid instructions
Sometimes, they also get appropriately trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Students who wish to become a phlebotomist can join classes run by various organizations like The American Heart Association, American Red Cross, and Medic First Aid Organization. They can also get trained in a community college, career center, or trade school. After training and certification, phlebotomists receive competitive pay. And there is a demand for highly skilled phlebotomists in the medical industry.
There are many sources of information available regarding phlebotomist training and education. You can check out the organizations given above, which are actively involved in phlebotomist training and get the necessary details, or you can check out the online sources on the internet, which are highly informative.
