Phlebotomist. Senior Project Research Paper. Biana Morales Mateo December 5, 2016 WOODBURN WELLNESS, BUSINESS, AND SPORTS SCHOOL

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1 WOODBURN WELLNESS, BUSINESS, AND SPORTS SCHOOL Phlebotomist Senior Project Research Paper Biana Morales Mateo December 5, 2016 Edited by Ashley Cogburn and Edited by Jamie Kading and

2 Morales 1 What are several jobs that you would consider after high school graduation? What skills or networking opportunities would these jobs provide? After high school graduation, many of the careers that I would consider are in the medical and science field. My secondary options fall in engineering field. My first few considerations are becoming a veterinarian, medical scientist, a medical and clinical laboratory technologist technician, or an epidemiologist. For post-secondary options, I would consider being a biomedical engineer. If I consider being a veterinarian some skills that I can learn are having compassion, meaning they have to be compassionate with not just pets but also owners. Communication skills are also learned because communication is essential for veterinarians in order to be able to explain their recommendations. Decision-making skills are also learned, meaning they must choose the safest and best method to help sick animals. Management skills are important too since veterinarians must manage their time and more. Manual Dexterity and problem-solving skills are also learned; many of these skills will become very helpful in the future. For example communication skills will improve my speaking and will help me be more direct with another person. Another example is Decision-making, this skill will help me think wise and quickly about my decision in case of emergency s in the near by future. If I consider becoming a medical scientist then there are a few more skills I learn, for example criticalthinking skill will help me be more of a critical thinker about my making decisions. Other skills that I will learn are data analysis skills, and observation skills. Observation skills will help me scan and think ahead of a situation and what to do quickly and quickly exam the situation. 1 Many of these first option careers that I would consider have many common skills, but becoming a medical and clinical laboratory technologist technician has only a few skills that veterinarians and medical scientists don t have. Such as: the ability to use technology, they must understand to use complex machinery. Another skill they learn is detail oriented, meaning you must follow certain instructions to perform test and procedures in order for the outcome to be correct. Dexterity is also another skill they learn, meaning their hand movements have to be in good control since they work with sharp and acute tools. The last skill they learn is physical stamina, meaning medical and clinical laboratory technologist technicians work long hours for a long period on their feet. For my final option for a career in the medical and science field, epidemiology. The skills that I can learn if I would become an epidemiologist are: communication skills, critical-thinking skills, detail oriented skills, math, and statistical skills. Math and statistical skills means one must have a high level of math and statistics skills in order to be able to use large databases when doing studies. The last skills they learn are teaching skills. Teaching skills are important because most epidemiologists are involved in their communities to help the public understand health risks. 2 For my final consideration in the engineering field is becoming a biomedical engineer. The first skill they learn in their career is analytical skills, meaning they learn to analyze their 1 Veterinarian. Veterinarians : Career, Salary and Education Information CollegeGrad.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec Medical Scientists. Medical Scientists : Career, Salary and Education Information - CollegeGrad.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec

3 Morales 2 patient for excellent recommendations. Communication skills are also included. Listening skills are also important because they have to listen to other professional s options and give their recommendations for better results for their patients. Math skills are also learned because they use mathematics to analysis and design in their job. Lastly problem-solving skills are also developed through this career. 3 Select a potential career that you have not already explored (e.g. Senior Project, Health Occupations etc.). Describe the job description, benefits, and average pay for this career. A potential career that I have not already mentioned, or explored, in my previous question is having a career as a Phlebotomist. A phlebotomist is also named phlebotomy, which the term it self means the punctuation or opening of a vein to withdraw blood or insert fluids into a patient. Many people don t know this, but they have visited a phlebotomist at one point in their lives. A phlebotomist s job is to withdraw blood from patient s veins. A phlebotomist is in charge of knowing how much blood to withdrawal from the patient, basically they collect blood from their patients and prepare the samples, but phlebotomists are responsible for transfusions. Also blood donations meaning they must know each individual s blood type so they may transfer the right blood type to the correct individual who is in need of blood. They are also responsible for properly labeling all blood withdrawals and they must know what diets or specific medications the patient is taking, because medications and diet s can affect the test results. For example if the patient is on medication then the blood will not qualify since it won t be able to pass the blood test properly. 4 Phlebotomist s also are allowed to do research on their patient s blood and are able to discuss with their patients what each tool does so that the patient can trust the phlebotomist. And finally, Phlebotomists are responsible for calming down nervous patients if they are very delicate around needles. The benefits of being a Phlebotomist are excellent retirement and insurance benefits. Since phlebotomist s work in the healthcare industry, they receive many insurance benefits in dental, health insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and a pension plan. Some other benefits that phlebotomist can earn are free parking, discounts on meals in the cafeteria of hospitals, and they earn wellness programs that can help with personal situations. Other benefits that phlebotomist s receive are: their work is one on one, so they get to work with their patients privately. Also, phlebotomist s can train typically from tow months to two years, but many have done their training in trade schools, community college, and hospitals or clinics. Employments in phlebotomy has increased over the years so there will be much more job employment in the next years. Also, a phlebotomists can is never sure what they are doing, everyday. Their schedules 3 Biomedical Engineer. Biomedical Engineer Career Profile / Job Description, Salary, and Growth / Truity. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec The Job Benefits for Phlebotomists. The Job Benefits for Phlebotomists / Chron.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec

4 Morales 3 can vary, for example on e day a phlebotomist can be working in a laboratory at a hospital and the next day they can be performing blood withdrawals. The average pay for this career is an hourly wage. On a regular basis, a phlebotomist gets paid at an average rate of $14.60 per hour. The median for an hourly rate of payment is $14, because hourly rate can change between $10.34 to $18.33, they also can receive hourly tips up to $1.69. However, their overtime payment can range from $11.02 to $ Most phlebotomists can make a decent living out of their payments, but a few get paid more because of their experience and education. That, of course, is just hourly payment but an average annual rate is ranged between $20,683 to $43,764 but the median is $30,650, annually. 5 In my opinion, that is not a very high payment but it seems like a decent living lifestyle to pursue. Find several colleges or training programs that will best help you prepare for this specific career. What does it take to get into these programs? How long does this program take and will it cost? A few colleges that will best prepare one to become a phlebotomist are: Baker College of Auburn Hills in Michigan, Bellevue College in Washington, Columbia Basin College in Utah, Goodwin College in East Hartford in Connecticut, and lastly, Madison Area Technical College in Wisconsin. These schools are the best schools for anyone who specifically wants to become a phlebotomist. When in college one must take as many health courses as possible, such as: anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, medical terminology, allied health ethics, and biology in order to gain specific knowledge on the human body system. Once they have earned their bachelor s degree in clinical laboratory science then they can pursue a career in phlebotomy. The next step is to earn a certification in phlebotomy. The following facilities and programs offer certificates in phlebotomy, such as: American society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), The American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians (ASPT), National Phlebotomy Association (NPA), and National Health career Association (NHA) and lastly National center for Competency (NCCT) Certification. 6 After earning a certification in phlebotomy now you must earn another certification, each of the following certifications has a different focus when working with blood withdrawal. The first certification is called Limited Phlebotomy Technician (LPT), this certification is only allowed to do skim punctures to collect blood. The second certification is called Certified Phlebotomy Technician I (CPT I), this certificate allows one to do venipunctures and skin puncture. The last certification is called Certified Phlebotomy Technician II (CPT II), this one is allowed to do venipuncture, skin puncture and arterial puncture. After earning your certification in phlebotomy and earning one of the previous certificates it s now time to take the test. The test part will be focused on how one response to workplace hazards, how to prevent hematomas and nerve damage, how one disposes of used equipment properly and also equipment sterilization. Once completing both certificates, and passing the phlebotomy test, one is now allowed to training. However, many might have trained during college but in most occasions many train after earning there certificates. Many training programs and courses will go over medical 5 Phlebotomist Salary. Phlebotomist Salary. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec Phlebotomy Certification / Find Programs. All Allied Health Schools. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec

5 Morales 4 terminology, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid, anatomy, physiology, phlebotomy lab skills such as venipuncture, urinalysis, centrifuging and processing, and lastly, disease of the human body. One program that I found best suited for phlebotomy training is in Pima Medical Institute. The training is for approximately three months of duration, it s offered in Arizona, Texas and Washington, one will get the opportunity to work in hospitals, physician offices and in independent labs. Many training programs can also be offered in college, community colleges, technical schools or facilities. Many of the training programs costs vary, for example, training online the costs wil range from $300 - $700, for training in a technical school or facility the cost will range from $700 - $14,000. And for training in phlebotomy courses, the cost ranges up to approximately $29,400 for a six course period of training. 7 Many of these training programs will usually run up to approximately two months. Many don t last for a long period because most training programs are simple to get used to meaning new phlebotomist don t take long to join the workforce. Interview a professional in this career about their work experience. Describe what the job is actually like. What advice did this professional have for you? I interviewed Shawn Flores from the Salem Health Hospital; he is the manager of the Phlebotomist Laboratory. After spending a few hours with Mr. Flores during my job shadow I invited the man for lunch for a quick interview. However because of his work schedule he denied the lunch offer but was kind enough to answer some of my questions. To start of the interview I asked him Why did you choose Phlebotomy? he responded with Well in all honesty I never imaged of becoming a phlebotomist. I actually wanted to work in ambulance service, but I remember a phlebotomist withdrawing blood from a patient once and I became so curious that I decided to look into phlebotomy and I became very interested since that day. Then I asked him What did it take for you to become a phlebotomist? he answered Well I was working toward earning my EMT-IV Tech license, but that license was able to substitute as a phlebotomy certification. But not many phlebotomists get an advanced certificate although it would be best because one earns more experience and more of a position in the hospital. Next Question was How long did it take for you to obtain a job? he said Actually not long, about a week before I was near ending my EMT classes a mentor of mine actually offered me a job in a local laboratory. But after a long time of hard work in that laboratory I was transferred to this hospital and I really like it here. The Following question was Did you always have an open mind to other medical careers? he answered Yes, I was always looking for other opportunities in the hospital. Next question was What do you do on a typical workday? He said Well I do some computer work and withdraw blood. I ll usually work up to 9 hours, on a daily basis it is really busy in the mornings but then slows down in the afternoon. Then I asked Do you like the work style of a phlebotomist? Would you consider this job beneficial? he responded with Being a phlebotomist can really keep one busy throughout the day and it can be a challenge at times but I love working as a phlebotomist. I would also consider this job very beneficial. Next question was What are some difficulties issues about being a phlebotomist either working as one or wanting to become one? Is there anything easy about this career? He answered saying The most difficult issue I encounter is when I can t find a vein on patient because it frustrates me and the patient also when patients are scared of needles. But one easy task about being a phlebotomist is that you get to grow a bond with patients who come in often. With that being 7 How Much Does Phlebotomy Training Cost? CostHelper.com. CostHelper. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec

6 Morales 5 said I asked him Have there been any cases where a patient of yours is scared of needles? How did you deal with them? he answered saying There have been many cases where many of my patients would refuse to get a needle because they are scared, in situations like that I usually get another person to give me a hand. If a patient won t corporate then we lay them down in another room and talk with them. Next question Would you say this job is flexible to your schedule? he answered with I would say so but I usually have my hours set ahead of time. However, when an emergency comes up the hospital can easily find another nurse or worker to cover my shift. So yes I would say they are very flexible. Then I asked him Was there any other kind of training that you received? he said The only other training I received was my computer work. And lastly to finish up the interview I asked him Would you recommend this career to others as a phlebotomist yourself? He answered Yes, I would this job is very rewarding and you learn so much. After the interview I said my goodbyes and he thanked me for looking into this career. Set up a job shadow opportunity with a professional in this career. Follow them around and observe the tasks they actually perform on a daily basis. What did you think? I set up my job shadow at the Salem Health Hospital with the manager of the phlebotomist laboratory, Shawn Flores. My job shadow lasted for 2 hours which didn t seem like much time in all honesty but in those two hours I learned so much more. Before going to my job shadow I thought it would be just them sitting in a room or just stocking up equipment till they were called in to withdraw blood but I was wrong. When I arrived I easily found the manager, after introducing myself Mr. Flores asked me some simple questions such as what made you look into phlebotomy, was this your first choice, what high school are you attending, do you plan on going to college and more. After answering his questions we entered the laboratory through out the whole job shadow I had to clean my hands so many times and were gloves because they are very strict on following a certain safety procedure so that germs don t get spread around. But besides having to wash my hand and were gloves so many times I actually learned that being a phlebotomist is a lot of running around to many different places and having to work quickly but neatly. For example, Shawn was always doing something he would go from working on the computer entering information to withdrawing blood to labeling test tubes to delivering test tubes. Basically you re always moving as a phlebotomist, one thing that I noticed was that when he was doing one thing and asked to do another thing he didn t complain or get frustrated instead he kept calm and asked for five minutes to finish his first task. That to me really impressed me because I feel like working as a doctor or nurse or any occupation in the health industry would be under so much stress but it s not like that it just depends on each person and how they handle any situation that is thrown at them. After following him around for a while he actually let me perform some blood withdrawal but of course not on a patient if anything he let me work with one or two needles that s all and water just to be safe to not use real blood. But he taught me how to withdrawal some blood in a few ways mostly the easiest and simplest ways. He would first do the first few steps and then I would come in and finish the job because I was too scared to mess up at the beginning. But after doing that he then showed me what they do in the laboratory, so basically what they do is they use different machines to find out the information they need from blood. And after that we moved on back to his main work place were he usually takes blood from patients, as he was doing that I realized that this career might not be as boring as I thought. I realized that I should keep my mind open to other careers because I could think im very fascinated in one career when down the road I could regret it and wished I would look into other careers. But I think I would consider being a phlebotomist as one of my options for the future.

7 Morales 6 With that being said I m going to look into more careers and if they don t catch my attention like phlebotomy did then I plan on sticking to phlebotomy and work as a phlebotomist for the rest of my life.

8 Morales 7 References Biomedical Engineer. Biomedical Engineer Career Profile / Job Description, Salary, and Growth / Truity. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec How Much Does Phlebotomy Training Cost? CostHelper.com. CostHelper. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec List of Engineering Career Options with Job Description / EducatingEniners.com. List of Engineering Career Options with Job Description / EducatingEngineers.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec Medical Scientists. Medical Scientists : Career, Salary and Education Information - CollegeGrad.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec Phlebotomy Certification / Find Programs. All Allied Health Schools. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec Phlebotomist Salary. Phlebotomist Salary. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec The Job Benefits for Phlebotomists. The Job Benefits for Phlebotomists / Chron.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec Veterinarian. Veterinarians : Career, Salary and Education Information CollegeGrad.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec

NORTHEAST TEXAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE Professional Education and Allied Health

Phlebotomy Program APPLICATION INFORMATION The Phlebotomy Program at Northeast Texas Community College is a course series designed to prepare students to take the national certification test with the American