Graduates of a Phlebotomy Program

Graduates of a Phlebotomy Program

Phlebotomy is a unique field, however; only recently has the phlebotomy profession started to gain more much deserved recognition! Physicians, medical technologists, clinical laboratory scientists, and other health care professionals have finally come to realize the importance of the phlebotomist's education and training.

More than ever they realize that phlebotomists are an important part of the complete health care team, how they contribute greatly to the quality of patient care and in the prosperity of their facility! Therefore, graduating phlebotomists must strive to set high standards for themselves and to be deeply committed to quality health care delivery when they join this rewarding field. This commitment should continue throughout their entire career!

Externship

To conclude their training in the classroom phlebotomy students perform between 80 to 120 hours of work experience. This is called an externship. The externship consists of unpaid work experience with may combine blood draws in home health care, at health fairs, or blood drawings from a phlebotomy outreach site, physician office, or clinical laboratory site under the supervision of appropriate personnel. Keeping good records of the duration of the externship, number of successful draws, and other related skills attained during the externship is not only absolutely essential to finish the training, but it also counts as job experience, since many employers are asking for a certain amount of experience!

Employment Opportunities

Employment opportunities for properly trained phlebotomists, especially those who graduated from an accredited phlebotomy program and are certified, are good as the demand for skilled phlebotomists to draw blood from patients or blood donors for medical testing increases.

Phlebotomy Technician Employers

Hospitals

Physician's offices

Medical clinics

Surgical centers

Veterinary clinics

Insurance agencies

Blood & plasma donation centers

Governmental medical facilities

US armed forces

Care facilities

Job Market Outlook

The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that the market is expected to increase 10%-20% over the next decade as more and more phlebotomists who are properly trained to take blood without harming the patient are hired. Employers seek skillful phlebotomists to ensure that the blood is taken correctly, and once the blood is taken the specimen is properly transported to the correct laboratory as and when required.

The rapidly growing older population will be a major reason for this growth, since older people tend to have more medical problems that will require lab work. The fastest growth in this field is expected in independent medical laboratories because hospitals continue to send a greater amount of their lab work to outside facilities.

Certification

Many phlebotomists who work in hospital laboratories, private laboratories, clinics, large medical offices, and blood banks elected to become certified based on their experience and skills. It was their commitment to continuous learning, commitment to professional development and dedication to consumer protection, or rather, in health care the protection of patients, clients, and the provider compelled them to strive beyond the basic requirements in phlebotomy.

Professional Advancement Opportunities

With experience, some phlebotomists are promoted to a higher-level position such as phlebotomy supervisor or laboratory assistant. Some move into related fields like medical assistant, nursing aide, or patient care technician and many employers assist with training for these jobs. Phlebotomists who are interested in lab work might go back to school to study as a clinical lab technician.

Educational Programs and Support

Some employers, especially those in urban teaching hospitals, offer generous tuition reimbursement programs which allow the pursuit of a degree or transition into higher professions, such as in EKG or nursing, through approved courses of study. Most offer up to 80% or $200 per credit hour tuition reimbursement, and many other resources are available through the Professional Development Department.