Phlebotomy Jobs Are In Great Supply
Even with all the financial hardships people are suffering today, the field of medicine continues to grow and expand, with an estimated one million job openings in the year 2012. Phlebotomy is one of the many fields a person can specialize in. A phlebotomy technician is the person who comes into the doctor’s office right before the doctor does and takes blood samples when necessary. There is a growing need for phlebotomy jobs to be filled by certified technicians
Being a phlebotomy technician isn’t always as simple as putting a needle in a vein, and drawing off some blood. The attending physician may wish to run tests on the blood samples, and it is the job of the phlebotomy technician to prepare the appropriate number of samples. Sometimes the technician is called on to add different additives to the blood sample, such as a plasma separator.
Training for phlebotomy jobs is a lot easier than training for other jobs in medicine. To become a certified phlebotomy technician, the person usually only needs the certification required by the state they are going to be practicing in. Regulating phlebotomy certification is up to the individual states, some don’t even require the technician to be certified. Usually in those cases on the job training is provided to bring the technician up to speed on safety and health protocols.
This on the job training often proves essential. Many concerns have been raised as to whether or not phlebotomy jobs should require more training before allowing certification. In Great Britain, new laws have been passed that require more classroom training, as well as a course in what is called dry lab training. Dry lab training provides the student the chance to practice their skill until it is perfected.
Recently concerns have been raised as to whether or not the people taking phlebotomy jobs were receiving enough training. Over the course of an ordinary day, there are many different situations which may arise. Some people are very afraid of needles. Others will have veins that are hard to reach.
Some will be problematic for other reasons, such as drunkenness. The phlebotomy technician has to be able to shut out all of what is going on around them and take their samples as quickly and safely as possible. This is not a skill that everyone has. During the training course, a person studying for phlebotomy jobs gets some training in customer/patient relations.
Not all phlebotomy jobs are the same though. Some phlebotomy technicians choose to work with animals. They perform much the same function as they would on a person, drawing blood samples and then preparing them for testing. Some animal hospitals and clinics also require that a phlebotomy technician have a degree or at least some training in veterinary medicine.
Other phlebotomy jobs are also available in medical and forensic research labs. There is always a need for skilled technicians in these fields as well. A phlebotomy technician who works in a lab is often involved in more in-depth analysis of the blood samples they take. This job requires more than the simple certification that most phlebotomy jobs require. To work in such labs often means at least a bachelors degree in a related medical field.