Steps Required On How To Become A Phlebotomist in Texas
A phlebotomist is someone who draws blood from patients in hospitals and clinics so that the blood can be analyzed for diseases. While it is a great career, there are many people who wonder how to become a phlebotomist. Do you have to have certain character traits? And do you have to get some particular type of training? This article will look at what is needed to become a phlebotomist in Texas.
Preparation Needed To Become A Phlebotomist
You can attend phlebotomist schools right out of high school or college, and it helps if you focus on subjects that support phlebotomy during this time. Work on getting good grades in biology – it is the study of living organisms and it will help you understand how the human body functions. Work also on getting good grades in chemistry – a lot of the analyzing that phlebotomists do is based on seeing how blood reacts to certain chemicals. It also helps if you can start working on your bedside manners. This has to do with how you treat the people who come to have their blood drawn. Volunteer for jobs where you have to talk to people and comfort them. Try getting volunteer jobs in nursing homes and even hospitals. If you can find something that gets you to talk to kids and listen to them – they are the most difficult patients to draw blood from.
What Type Of Training Is Required?
This takes place at a phlebotomy school. You will be in school between 6 months and a year depending on what kind of phlebotomy certification you are wanting to acquire. You will learn all about the human body and how it functions, how to draw blood from different age groups, how to practice lab safety and as a requirement, how to administer CPR.
You are also required to go to a real clinic and start getting actual experience. You ideally will be referred to a clinic or a hospital near you and there will someone who is assigned to supervise you. This person will also monitor your progress and send regular reports back to your school. It is important that you do this practical bit as well as you can; the hospital or clinic may like your work so much that they may decide to offer you a job.
What Do Phlebotomists Earn?
You know how to become a phlebotomist, but what will you make once you qualify? It all depends on where you practice, but someone who does nothing but phlebotomy work can expect to get around $20,000 a year. Most earn more though, because they don’t just do phlebotomy. They add to their skills by training in other medical areas so that they have more to offer an employer.
You can also make more money by working in big private hospitals but these posistions are very competitive so you should be prepared do better in your interview than all others who have applied for the position.
Many people also use phlebotomy as an entry point into a medical career. Once you are certified as a phlebotomist, for example, there is no reason why you cannot start taking nursing lessons or EMT lessons. Your phlebotomy certification allows you exemptions from several courses and this is something that you should take advantage of if you want to be more than just a phlebotomist.