A phlebotomist (φλέψ = vein, τομός = cutting) is an individual trained to draw blood, either for laboratory tests or for blood donations. They are also responsible for performing Phlebotomies.

Contents 1 Their role 2 Training and certification 2.1 Education 2.2 Certification and licensing 2.3 Remuneration 3 See also 4 External links 5 References

[edit] Their role

Phlebotomy is the act of drawing blood either for testing or transfusion. It is a skill employed by physicians and many professionals in allied health fields, including nurses, medical assistants, paramedics, and clinical laboratory scientists. Health care is a rapidly expanding industry, and a new professional, the certified phlebotomist, helps to reduce the workload of doctors and nurses by focusing exclusively on blood collection, particularly in hospitals and blood drives.

Depending on the regional characteristics of the organisation they work for, phlebotomists may have to travel to collect samples (this is referred to as a domiciliary service). They may travel to nursing homes or outpatient clinics to collect samples.

Phlebotomists collect blood primarily by performing venipuncture and, for collection of minute quantities of blood, fingersticks. Blood may be collected from infants by means of a heel stick. Specially trained Phlebotomists collect arterial blood samples from the radial or ulnar arteries near the wrist.

[edit] Training and certification

The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (July 2009)

In the United States, requirements vary by state. However, most states do require a high school diploma or equivalent, followed by at least a six-week phlebotomy certification class.

[edit] Education

This section called "Education" needs references that appear in reliable third-party publications. Primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject are generally not sufficient for a Wikipedia article. Please add more appropriate citations from reliable sources. (November 2009)

Phlebotomy used to be a skill picked up on the job, but today, most phlebotomists in the United States train approximately two to four months in a career center or trade school or one year in a study of anatomy, how to interact with patients, legal aspects of blood collection, Universal and Standard Precautions, and blood collection techniques. A prospective phlebotomist should have a high school diploma or GED and be able to follow simple directions and procedures and handle blood and other bodily fluids without discomfort. Australian phlebotomists require no specific educational prerequisites in order to undergo training, other than culturally relevant language skills. A medical or laboratory technician background would be advantageous to undertake training.

In the United Kingdom there are no pre-requisite qualifications to becoming a phlebotomist except to obtain a certificate of competency - Many healthcare employers still follow the principle of training on-the-job to obtain this. However, the latest trend now in the UK is to obtain more structured learning and practice through attendance and participation in proper theory classes, dry-lab classes (practising on simulated arms), and practising on real life patients in a medical environment like a hospital or GP Clinic. Good training programmes will provide all of the above and award the participants with a certificate of competency on completion. There are several credible course providers in the London, the leaders of which are Maxis Healthcarewho use NHS accredited manuals and senior lecturers who are dept phlebotomy heads. Maxis Healthcare follow the 18 core competencies recommended by the NHS, follow guidelines recommended by National Occupational Standards (NOS), follow recommendations promoted by Skills For Health and Skills for Business.

[edit] Certification and licensing

Phlebotomists can be certified upon examination by a number of agencies, including the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP), the American Medical Technologists (AMT), the American Society For Clinical Pathology (ASCP), the American Association of Medical Personnel (AAMP), the National Credentialing Agency (NCA)and the National Phlebotomy Association (NPA).The National Healthcareer Association (NHA) www.nhanow.com . The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) also covers phlebotomy on their nationally recognized exam. Certified Medical Assistants (CMA) are commonly hired to be phlebotomists

The National Healthcareer Association offers a national certification for Phlebotomy Technician (CPT). The CPT certification includes the EKG Technician certification (CET) and Phlebotomy Technician certification in one general certification. Certification is also available to individuals that have 2+ years hands on experience as a home study exam; however it is not available in the state of California. A person can become certified in the state of California with the National Health-career Association (NHA) certification; however they must take the National Health-career Association (NHA) at an approved testing site set forth by the state of California.

[edit] Remuneration

In the UK, as of October 2009^[update], phlebotomists can expect to earn £10-£11 per hour while cord blood phlebotomists can earn up to £25 per hour. According to careercruising.com , a Canadian phlebotomist can expect to earn approximately CAD$14 to $20 per hour, or $25 000 to $42 000 per year. In a 2008 salary survey conducted by Advance for Medical Laboratory Professionals, the average U.S. salary for phlebotomists was $26,297.^[1]

[edit] See also

• Bloodletting (medieval)
• Vacutainer
• Blood test
• Medical technologist

[edit] External links

• Animated Venipuncture tutorial

[edit] References