Overview
Phlebotomy is the science of drawing blood and its subsequent storage for the purposes either transfusion or testing. The person who draws blood and completes its collection procedures is called a phlebotomist or a phlebotomy technician. These trained and well experienced medical personnel are very critical in the medical arena. A well qualified phlebotomist can easily land a job in any medical facility and in almost all laboratories. To qualify as a phlebotomist, a candidate is required to acquire the right phlebotomy training. After completion of their training, they are awarded with appropriate phlebotomy certificates. This enables them to easily land good paying phlebotomy jobs.
Phlebotomists spend most of their working time educating themselves on how to correctly collect blood samples for their patients. Collecting blood is not just a matter of sticking a needle into a patient’s vein, rather it is a technique that takes a bit of skills so as to ensure that the physician get usable samples at the same time making sure that the patient doesn’t experience too discomfort during the procedure. Blood samples are taken to test such health issues as diseases, infection, ailments and so forth. Additionally, they draw blood from the patients to analysis for blood glucose, potassium, nitrogen, calcium levels and so forth.
- Everest College in Arlington, Dallas, Fort Worth, Texas
- Central Texas College, Texas
- Lamson Institute, Texas
- Remington College in Fort Worth, Dallas, Texas
- Brookhaven College, Texas
Top cities in Texas hiring phlebotomists
- Austin
- Corpus Christi
- Dallas
- Al Paso
- San Antonio
- Houston
- Fort Worth
- Amarillo
- Irving
- Lubbock
Essential training and certification
A typical phlebotomy training program usually covers the basics of medical work and topics related to blood drawing and collection procedures. Some of the topics covered in the phlebotomy are such as:
- Safety and infection issues
- How a laboratory works
- Venipunture procedures
- Preventing errors
- Finger stick procedures
- Handling difficult blood draws
- Blood storage ad transportation procedures
- Special blood procedures
- Human resources and customer service issues.
To qualify for a phlebotomy certification program, a student must at least have a high school diploma or its equivalent. However, look for phlebotomy certification programs that are approved by the American Society of Laboratory Science, American Medical Technologists, and American Association of Medical Personnel.
Once enrolled, the course duration ranges from 3 months to 12 months before you could get your phlebotomy certification. However, if you want to further your education and get a degree, then it will take you 18 months to get the required phlebotomy associate degree. The time frames for getting a bachelor’s degree vary from one university to the other, though it usually takes more than 18 months.
Personality and skills required for this vocation
Phlebotomist work under a lot of pressure, thus if you enter this medical filed you should be a person who could efficiently handle the pressure. Additionally, you should have a positive attitude, be willing to work beyond the normal working hours, have a pleasant and pleasing demeanor and also be an empathetic person.
Salary expectations and career prospects
On a yearly basis, a certified phlebotomist earns an average of $20,000 to $48,000. The demand for trained phlebotomists is on the rise and the prospects of landing phlebotomy jobs in the future are great. And since the need for qualified phlebotomist is continually rising, most medical organizations are placing more emphasis on certifying their uncertified employees.
Texas schools offering phlebotomy courses
Phlebotomist training is not difficult to come by as there are many phlebotomy schools located in TX. However, you will need to find the one that truly meets your phlebotomy training requirements. If in a dilemma as to which to chose, you might consider asking your personal physician or even the local medical facilities personnel for a phlebotomy school recommendation. If not satisfied, ask a phlebotomist you might know for a phlebotomy school recommendation. The more positive feedback you get, the easier it is to make a good choice.
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