Choosing the right career path is one of the biggest decisions you are ever going to make and something that must be carefully thought through. After all, you do not want to waste years of your life, only to realize that the profession you chose wasn’t the one you wanted.
So what can be said about being a phlebotomist? Namely, it is an ideal choice for anyone who wants to work in a medical field, yet doesn’t want to spend a lot of years (and money) trying to acquire a degree.
Now, in order to become one, you first need to get familiar with particular challenges that may arise along the way and of course, have certain skills that are necessary for this particular role. If you would like to know more about this profession, then keep scrolling to gather more useful info!
First Let’s Find Out What Does A Phlebotomist Do?
Before we proceed with this topic, let’s first learn some basics about this profession. So what does this person do? Namely, it is a medical professional who draws blood from patients and can normally be seen in clinics, hospitals, and other similar institutions.
Apart from drawing blood from patients, these medical experts may also process and label blood samples.
How Can You Become One?
There are a couple of options when it comes to this. The best alternative is to complete an accredited program. Before you opt for anything, it would be recommended to first gather some helpful information regarding your state’s requirements.
Why is this important? Well, that’s because there are states that require you to acquire a professional certificate. If by any chance you live in Tennessee, then you should do your homework to see where you can attend phlebotomy classes Jackson TN because from what we heard there are a number of great programs out there. But before you pick any, we would like to remind you that you must have at least a GED or high school diploma.
If you have that, then feel free to apply for any phlebotomy program that seems most suitable for you. In order to do so, you need to do the following:
- Fill out and submit your application
- Prove that you’ve graduated from high school and have a minimum GPA
- Have CPR certification
- Background check
- Immunization records
What Skills Are Necessary For This Job?
Just like with any other career choice, this one requires a particular set of skills as well. First and foremost, in order to execute any task that’s related to this profession, you must be very organized and pedantic.
Bear in mind that this profession doesn’t tolerate anyone who is chaotic and messy. Don’t forget that you’ll not only be dealing with various tubes when drawing blood, but you will also be handling different paperwork.
That’s precisely one of the major reasons why you simply must be a very organized and detail-oriented person. Besides that, this profession requires someone who is generally very calm, because precisely calmness is mandatory each time you draw blood from patients.
When it comes to other skills, it’s important to accentuate the fact that the person who wants to work as a phlebotomist must be very compassionate, have excellent interpersonal skills, and be great at problem-solving and analyzing a variety of different information.
Let’s not forget that you should be patient as well, because, at the end of the day, you’ll be dealing with various people throughout the day with different backgrounds and characters.
If You Love Flexible Working Hours, Then You’ll Love Doing This!
One of the biggest advantages of working as a phlebotomist is the fact that you’ll most likely have a pretty flexible schedule. Of course, this mostly depends on the facility you’ll be working for.
However, what’s safe to say is that in most cases, phlebotomists have a pretty flexible schedule. At times, you’ll work for eight hours, sometimes ten, at there’ll be days when you will work for twelve hours as well.
But what’s important to remember is the fact that the more hours you work, the more free days you’ll have. And that’s perfect for people who have families.
And Last, But Not Least – Salary
The exact amount of money depends on various factors, like your employers, location, and your experience. However, according to the latest reports, the average salary of a phlebotomist is somewhere around $37,400, which is approximately $18 per hour.
It’s safe to say that being a phlebotomist is a very rewarding profession, however, it’s definitely not for everybody. Therefore, if you want to be sure you’ve made the right choice, then carefully go through this guide that we created for you.
