A phlebotomy technician is preparing to perform a venipuncture for a patient who has pneumonia

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What does a phlebotomy technician do?

Phlebotomy technicians collect blood from patients and prepare the samples for testing. Most work in hospitals and clinics, but some collect blood for donation purposes. Phlebotomy technicians are important members of the health care team and often need to explain the blood-drawing procedure and put patients at ease.

With constantly evolving medical technologies, phlebotomy technicians must know the difference in blood test types and should be aware of how medications and diet impact blood samples.

Scope of practice

Phlebotomy technicians are responsible for drawing samples of blood and preparing them for testing. Common tasks and duties include:

  • Explaining procedures to patients
  • Comforting patients that might be nervous about needles
  • Taking blood pressure, pulse, and respiration readings
  • Drawing blood
  • Applying bandages after blood is drawn
  • Sending blood, urine, or fecal samples to the lab for testing
  • Sterilizing equipment and cleaning workspaces
  • Updating patient medical records

Work environment

Phlebotomy technicians work in hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices, nursing homes, private home care, medical labs, blood donation centers, research institutes, and insurance companies. They may work day, evening, or night shifts, including weekend and holiday hours. The majority of their time is spent on their feet, interacting with patients or preparing samples to be sent to the lab.

Becoming a phlebotomy technician

Due to the intricate work of inserting needles into hard-to-find veins, phlebotomy technicians need to have well-tuned fine motor skills. They need to be able to handle difficult and emotional patients that might be afraid of needles. Finally, they need to be detail-oriented and able to remember safety precautions, how different diets can affect blood samples, and exactly how samples need to be treated to appropriately test them.

Higher education requirements

To become a phlebotomy technician, you must have a high school degree or equivalent and a phlebotomy technician training program. These programs can last a few months to a year.

Certification process

The certification process can vary depending on which organization is certifying the phlebotomy technician. These organizations include the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, National Healthcareer Association, and the American Medical Technologists. Requirements typically include a high school diploma or GED, a phlebotomy training program, and potentially some work experience.

Career opportunities and outlook

Phlebotomy technicians can expect a median salary range of $37,380.

Phlebotomy is an expanding field with excellent career opportunities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment of phlebotomist technicians to grow much faster than average. Blood testing is an essential task in health care so demand for phlebotomy technicians is likely to increase since doctors use blood work for analysis and diagnosis.

To advance their careers, some phlebotomy technicians choose to get certified in a particular area to become phlebotomy specialists or donor phlebotomy technicians. With additional experience and education, others become medical lab technicians, medical assistants, or registered nurses (R.N.s).

By the numbers

1

year or less of higher education

22%

job growth projected from 2020-2030

A phlebotomy technician is preparing to perform a venipuncture for a patient who has pneumonia

Hemodialysis technician

A phlebotomy technician is preparing to perform a venipuncture for a patient who has pneumonia

Medical massage therapist

A phlebotomy technician is preparing to perform a venipuncture for a patient who has pneumonia

Pharmacy technician

1.To prevent hospital-acquired infections, a phlebotomy technician should clean items that havebeen contaminated by blood with a 1:10 dilution of which of the following substances and

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2.A phlebotomy technician should select a tube that has which of the following additives when

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3.Which of the following test results are affected when a phlebotomy technician uses povidone-

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4.A phlebotomy technician should transport a semen sample at which of the following

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5.A phlebotomy technician is preparing to draw a peak level for a medication that wasadministered orally to a patient. After verifying when the patient received the medication, how

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6.A phlebotomy technician is preparing to obtain a blood specimen from a patient for thyroidstudies. The technician should select a collection tube that has a top with which of the following

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7.A phlebotomy technician is collecting capillary blood drops on a filter paper card to screen anewborn for phenylketonuria. Which of the following actions should the technician take?

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8.A phlebotomy technician is using a point of care system to determine a patients WBC count. For

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9.A phlebotomy technician is preparing a peripheral blood smear from a patient’s capillary blood.

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10.Which of the following is the best method for a phlebotomy technician to collect a blood

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11.A phlebotomy technician is following the Clinical and Laboratory Standard’s Institute’s (CLSI)clinical laboratory workflow pathway. As part of the postexamaination phase of this process,

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12.Which of the following tubes should a phlebotomy technician collect first when obtaining dermal

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What piece of PPE should be used when performing venipuncture on a patient that has tuberculosis?

Respirators. If coming into contact with patients with pulmonary tuberculosis or other diseases with airborne transmission then an N95 respirator is required. A respirator needs to be specially fitted and checked for no air leaks before use.

What is the first step a phlebotomy technician performs when drawing blood *?

Step 1: Identify The Vein The first step in drawing blood correctly is to identify the appropriate veins to puncture. For adult patients, the most common and first choice is the median cubital vein in the antecubital fossa.

What should a phlebotomist use to clean up a blood or cerebrospinal fluid spill?

Which of the following solutions should a phleb tech use to clean a cerebral spinal specimen spill? (The technician should use a 1:10 solution of bleach and water to clean a biohazard spill.)

Which of the following actions should a phlebotomist technician take when performing a blood culture collection?

Which of the following actions should a phlebotomy technician take when performing a blood culture collection? Scrub the site with isopropyl alcohol for 1 min in outward, cocentric circles. 20. A phlebotomy technician experiences a needlestick injury while performing a draw.