subject: Necessary Skills for Careers in Phlebotomy [print this page] Necessary Skills for Careers in Phlebotomy
There are many important, required skills for phlebotomy careers. If you are thinking about becoming a phlebotomist you will need to consider whether you have or can acquire these skills. If you're already working in the field and want to expand your career options, you may want to consider brushing up on these skills to make yourself a more attractive job candidate.
Venipuncture Skills Above All Else
Every phlebotomist is required to have the basic venipuncture skills to draw blood without unnecessary errors to avoid painful patient experiences or false lab results. It is most important to have a spotless technique so that you will not cause anticoagulant reflux, hematomas or nerve injury. This requires education, training, a good pair of eyes and a steady pair of hands.
Other Important Skills
Having the fundamental venipuncture skills is a good start, but there are many other important skills that you will need to make it far as a phlebotomist. Here are some skills that you will need for a successful career in phlebotomy:
Attention to Detail
Phlebotomists must be able to properly identify clients, lab collection tubes and samplesgetting them mixed up could be disastrous!
Careful Handling
If you can't carefully handle all collection tubes and use the correct devices that the physician has ordered, you won't be able to handle the rigors of the job.
Courtesy
It is imperative that you know how to be courteous to patients and explain the procedures carefully with regard to their emotions about what can be a scary procedure.
Paperwork Skills
You'll need to be accurate when filling out the paperwork, which includes properly documenting data regarding the samples and the patient.
Safety
You must never compromise patient safety during blood drawing, and you also must never compromise the integrity of the blood sample from the moment it's extracted to the moment it reaches the lab.
In addition to these basic skills for phlebotomy, data entry, patient care and safety, phlebotomists must also have a keen awareness of their surroundings and adjust accordingly depending on the age, allergies, culture, gender and health of patients.
