A Guide to Become a Phlebotomy Technician

September 8th, 2009

American  Phlebotomy technician Salary

Medical terms which are simple sometimes turns out to be completed to us as are not at all familiar with it. I am sure that the same thing will happen to you in case of phlebotomy technician. Some of you might be wandering what is this all about? Well, in the real walk of life all of you have faced this kind of an expert at least once or twice. To put it in simple words a phlebotomy technician is the one who draws quality blood samples from patients or from donors and prepares those specimens for medical testing or for transfusions. In this article we shall talk about the things that you need in order to become an expert phlebotomy technician. We shall also discuss about the other professionals aspects which are involved in this profession. Most importantly if you finish reading this article till the end you will surely find some interest in becoming an expert in this field of medical sciences. In one way you can be a great help to the society at large by helping those who actually needs blood. You can also render your professional help to the government of the country to which you belong in times of emergency situations.

Programs of Phlebotomy Technician

Like all other courses which make you a professional in this case also you have to go through a formal training. The duration of the course along with hands on training may take anything between four months to one year. The subjects that you need to cover include the legal aspects which are involved in blood collection, standard precautions and blood collection techniques. The minimum required qualification for taking up this course is a high school diploma. There are lot of schools which offer this course all over America. But it is safe and reliable to get admitted in those colleges whose courses are accredited by the American Society of Clinical Research.

The main duties that you need to do after you become a specialist are as follows:

  • Collecting blood in hospitals
  • Travelling on blood drives in order to collect blood
  • Performing venipuncture
  • Using finger sticks to collect small quantities of blood
  • Testing the blood for iron levels
  • Using a heel stick or butterfly needle to collect blood from infants
  • Collection of blood from arteries near the wrist

Salary of Phlebotomy Technician

The salary of a phlebotomy technician specialist varies around ,000 to ,000 depending upon the qualifications, experience, work situation, position that you are holding and location of your work. The job prospects are good as you have to perform critical tasks in the absence of the doctor and the nurse. Sometimes the experts also charges hourly wages from the patients and also from the hospitals where they are involved. According to some it is a more lucrative option than the monthly wage system. So, get yourself a degree which is the first and foremost thing that you need in order to start the profession. After that things will definitely fall into the place as the demand for these professionals are growing every day in the United States of America.