Competencies for a Phlebotomist

What Are The Competencies for a Phlebtomist

One of the primary responsibilities for a phlebotomist is to draw blood for transfusions and research. Therefore, in order to be a phlebotomist, you need to know everything about blood.

The increasing demand for skilled phlebotomists has led to a surge in programs and schools that specialize in training future phlebotomists. While you can get “on the job” training in many states, you are more likely to be hired if you are a certified phlebotomist.

The actual requirements of phlebotomy practitioners vary state by state. However, regardless of where you live, you need to be thoroughly trained in order to take blood. You can opt for a phlebotomy diploma, which are offered through vocational/technical schools and generally last for a couple of months, or choose an associate’s degree program at a community college. In addition to education and certification, some states require you to be licensed and registered before you can begin your practice. You can find these regulations at your state’s department of health and your phlebotomy school.

Besides an education, phlebotomists need to work well with patients and donors. Like doctors and nurses, a good beside manner is an important trait for a phlebotomist. These health care professionals also need to be able to draw blood and other fluids from patients without being squeamish.

Competencies for phlebotomists also include the ability to get minute samples of blood using finger sticks. Collecting blood from infants through a heel stick is also sometimes one of the competencies for a phlebotomist. Such are the nuances in the competencies for phlebotomists.

Organizational skills are also highly sought-after traits in people who are training to become phlebotomists. Since one of their primary jobs is to sterilize the puncture site so that the sample does not become contaminated, they have to be very through when choosing proper/clean equipment. They also need to be adept record keepers, making sure that all pertinent information is available on the fluid sample. After all, without an accurate label, the results of the lab work could be incorrect!