Phlebotomy: Drawing Life (blood, that is)

By Joe Pringle
Joe.pringle@medicalhealthcarecareerschools.com
Medical Health Care Career Schools Columnist

Have you donated blood lately? How about having blood drawn for testing? If so, chances are pretty good that a phlebotomist helped you.

What Is a Phlebotomist?

Typically, when talking about phlebotomists, the first thing people ask is "What is a phlebotomist?" It's not the most regular-looking word. Phlebotomists (the "phle" part is pronounced "flay") are the men and women in the medical field whose specialty is drawing blood. Working in clinics, blood donation centers, blood laboratories, and hospitals throughout the country, phlebotomists are pros at finding a vein, sticking it with a needle, and drawing blood from it, while at the same time making sure the patient/donor is as comfortable as possible.

Phlebotomist Training

Working with needles is a delicate business. If you want to become a phlebotomist, going to a phlebotomist school and getting phlebotomist training is a must. Phlebotomist jobs require a dedicated individual who is very attentive to detail and very careful with their work. In the US, some states require certification to become a phlebotomist, others allow on-the-job training, but all highly recommend going to a phlebotomist school to obtain your phlebotomist training. Phlebotomist training takes a mere 1-6 months, depending on the program, and hospitals, clinics, and blood donation centers prefer someone who is already trained.

Working As a Phlebotomist

As a certified phlebotomist, you won't have trouble finding work. Job opportunities are expected to continue growing quickly at least through 2012. As the world's population continues to grow, so does it's need for emergency blood and blood testing, and thus so does its need for phlebotomists. Perhaps the greatest thing about becoming a phlebotomist is simply the knowledge that what you are doing is helping to ease the pain of those who are suffering.

Sources:

US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Wikipedia.org

About the Author

Joe Pringle is a full-time student at Seattle Pacific University, where he is studying psychology. He has worked as a costing consultant for Luciano Engineering in Reno, Nevada and Graeagle, California, currently works as a freelance writer, and recently won the Freda K. Ward Literature Award for Best Short Story of November 2005 with "Coughing Hand Grenades" (which was also a top four nominee for Best Short Story of 2005).

Posted on: February 15, 2006