How to Become a Phlebotomist

By an XYZ Media contributing writer
Published: January 13th, 2010

Demand for Phlebotomists

Historically phlebotomists have been welcomed into the health care field because most hospitals have a fairly high rate of turnover, as high as 50% per year, for these professionals. So they are always screaming for qualified applicants. Anyone who successfully completes a reputable phlebotomy program will have no problem obtaining a good position with a local health care facility.

Skills to Succeed

As part of the job, patient contact and interacting with patients is a critical component. You have to be compassionate with those who have a wide variety of injuries and illnesses, as well as with healthy patients. Other skills and traits that are important in this line of work include professionalism, customer service, and patient confidentiality.

Learn more about phlebotomy training.

Communication skills are also essential to become a phlebotomist. The phlebotomist needs to be able to talk and interact effectively with the patient without giving the employer a bad reputation. To the patient, the phlebotomist represents the entire laboratory because typically that is the only person they come in contact with.

While technical skills are not essential since every hospital and lab has their own unique system for data entry that is taught on the job, typing skills are helpful. Also, having a willingness to learn and grow as a professional is important in this line of work.

The following steps tell how to become a phlebotomist.

It is important to “do your homework” so to speak before delving into this profession. It is a good idea to visit clinical laboratories and talk with other seasoned phlebotomists before determining this is a good career fit for you. Be sure you understand exactly what the field entails and the daily tasks you’ll be responsible for.
Research all available phlebotomy programs in your area and compare total hours of class time, the option for clinicals, whether or not the course leads to certification by a national certification agency, and if the programs teach according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standards.
It is beneficial to take a medical terminology course and ideally earn a certificate in phlebotomy to fully prepare yourself for a career in this field.
Finally, attend career fairs to see what jobs are available in phlebotomy and request information from these employers and, if interested, an application.