If you’re going to enter the exciting field of phlebotomy as a technician or assistant, you will definitely need the top 10 qualities of a phlebotomy technician in order to be successful. Some of these qualities are innate, and others are skills you can acquire or learn in school. It’s important to understand what the job entails before you get your education and start applying for positions, so you can be sure that this is the right career path for you. Moreover, you can visit this site to find the best phlebotomy schools as there are many phlebotomy schools out there and choosing the best one can give you a hard time.
The following are considered the top 10 qualities of a phlebotomy technician:
1 Ability to give good directions
2 Analytical skills
3 Attention to detail
4 Bedside manner / friendly nature
5 Compassion
6 Gentle touch
7 Listening skills
8 Stamina / endurance
9 Organizational skills
10 Team player
Your duties as a phlebotomist go beyond just taking blood. You must be able to prevent compromised samples, errors and injuries during the blood drawing process. Other job duties will include properly identifying patients, giving directions, labeling collection tubes, using/handling tubes and other collection devices, finding and accessing blood vessels in correct order, filling collection tubes sufficiently, processing blood samples, inverting collection tubes, recording information and storing samples-all without ever compromising the samples that you are working with. You also need to make patients feel comfortable during what might be a stressful situation for them, and be able to work long hours. All these are reasons why the preceding ten skills are so necessary in this field.
There are also some skills you might not expect to need as a phlebotomy technician. These have to do with preparing the patient, assessing health, dealing with people in different psychological states, taking patient medications into consideration, properly positioning patients, puncturing on second sites when the first doesn’t work and dealing with things like diurnal and circadian variations, tourniquets and safety measures. As a phlebotomist you must be ready for every type of patient and every sort of unexpected situation. Most days will be mundane, but you need the skills to make it through the most challenging days if you want to be successful