One area of increasing employment is the medical field. With an aging population a number of rewarding jobs have opened up in the medical and health fields. While some will still want to become nurses and doctors, and even personal support workers (PSWs) others will take a different path. They will attend phlebotomy courses in Brooklyn.
What is phlebotomy?
Originally, phlebotomy referred to the act or procedure of opening a person’s vein with the intent to let or draw blood. This was done to help relieve the humors. Today, phlebotomy still involves the removal of blood, but for somewhat different purposes. Rather than indiscriminate bleeding, phlebotomy is the removal of blood from a specific vein as a sample for tests.
Also referred to as venipuncture or venopuncture, phlebotomy is performed by a trained professional. This individual takes phlebotomy courses to learn the best method of drawing blood. After completing training as a medical technician, he or she is called a phlebotomist.
What does a Phlebotomist Do?
If you decide to become a phlebotomist, you will be required to perform a variety of blood and laboratory-related tasks as part of your job description. Among them are or may be the following:
1. Drawing of blood – using special techniques an resulting in as little pain as possible
2. Handling of blood specimens – this includes the labeling and proper storage of the blood samples
3. Dropping them off – this may involve dropping them off at a specific department or delivering them to the designated laboratory
4. Control of the Quality – enforcing and maintaining the proper measures to prevent any form of contamination of the specimens
5. Computer work – entering the data, lab results, patient data and related information onto the computer
6. Clerical work – in some instances, the phlebotomist may have to do basic clerical work including the answering of phones and the taking down of appointments
A phlebotomist is a medical technician trained specifically to take blood samples from patients and to perform basic laboratory tasks including setting up samples for analysis and entering lab results in a computer system. While many medical professionals practice phlebotomy in addition to other skills, especially in small offices, many major medical centers and blood donation organizations maintain a staff of phlebotomists to handle blood samples and collection. In most nations, a phlebotomist receives competitive pay and is a valued member of the medical team.
How to Become a Phlebotomist
While the actual education required to become a phlebotomist varies around eh world, it will involve taking phlebotomy course work. In Brooklyn, technical schools and colleges provide programs to address this. After graduating, it is essential to update and refresh through various courses. While some course work may vary from college to college, all students in this field must learn how to puncture a vein to collect blood (venipuncture) and the use of finger sticks to collect the smaller blood samples.
If you are interested in becoming a phlebotomist, do not hesitate to apply to take phlebotomy courses. In Brooklyn, these courses are available at several colleges and technical schools. The name may be strange, but you may find it to be the career you are looking for.
