If you are considering a career as a phlebotomy technician, one of the questions running through your mind may be “What does a real work day look like?” Whenever considering a job or career change, this is a valid question. Before making the commitment to begin a career as a phlebotomy technician, it’s important to know what you can expect to be doing from day to day.
Phlebotomists can be employed in a wide range of working environments, but let’s take a look at a very common employment environment for this example: the hospital.
The beginning of your shift will vary depending on the type of facility in which you’re employed. For phlebotomists working in a hospital setting, schedules will generally follow the same shifts as the nursing staff in their unit. For a phlebotomy technician who works a day shift, the start time is typically early in the day, around 5:00am to 6:00am. This allows the phlebotomist time to follow up on any of the previous day’s samples which may require attention and to replenish and stock supplies for the day. In most cases, a mobile cart will be used to visit patients on the hospital floor and the cart will need to include various supplies for use throughout the day to maintain an efficient work flow.
After daily preparations are complete, the phlebotomy technician is generally provided with a list of patient tests to be conducted for the day. Blood tests may be carried out for a variety of medically necessary reasons, so you can expect to visit with patients who are hospitalized for a host of conditions, from acute illness to pregnancy.
Prior to visiting patients, the phlebotomy technician will typically confer with the nurses on duty to asses the patient’s status. This ensures that the patient’s condition has not changed and rendered them unable to allow for blood to be drawn. Then it’s on to visit patients.
For the phlebotomy technician employed in a hospital setting, good bedside manner can be a real asset. No one wants to be in the hospital, and having a caring and positive attitude can go a long way in putting patients at ease. You may even have to visit them when they are resting or sleeping, which doesn’t always go over that well, but it is part of the job.
After the day’s samples are collected, they are taken to the lab for analysis. At this point, the phlebotomy technician will likely receive a new list of collections that are required and the process begins again.
At times, emergency situations may also arise which call for the phlebotomist to assist in blood transfusions in an intensive care or emergency unit.
This career does come with its unique challenges. However, the opportunity to help make a direct difference in the lives of patients can make a career as a phlebotomy technician a very rewarding one.
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