Phlebotomy Program Career Information

• Phlebotomy is the art and science of biological specimen collection, handling, transportation and processing for screening, diagnostic testing and therapeutic purposes.
  
  
• Specimen collection is performed at the request of a physician or licensed health care provider, and the quality of the phlebotomy directly affects the quality of care the physician subsequently provides.
  
  
• A professional who provides the service described above is a phlebotomist, and the techniques require good eye-hand coordination.
  
  
• A phlebotomist interacts with patients, clinical laboratory staff, nurses, doctors, and other allied health personnel, which requires good interpersonal skills.
  
  
• A phlebotomist, as a member of a health care team, must pay attention to details and carefully document work performed, and modern record-keeping requires computer skills.
  
  
• Phlebotomists typically work in hospital clinical laboratories, out-patient labs, physician’s offices, donor centers, pharmaceutical firms, research institutions, hospices, public health clinics, and many other venues, both civilian and military.
  
  
• The nature of the service phlebotomists provide brings a high potential for exposure to blood-born pathogens and, therefore, phlebotomists are expected to follow standard OSHA-mandated precautions.
  
  
• Phlebotomists are expected to keep up-to-date with their skills and their profession, which requires a commitment to critical thinking and life-long learning.