You may have come across a phlebotomist when you have needed a blood test, or you have been giving blood. A phlebotomist is a trained and skilled individual that takes blood with the least discomfort and aims to ensure patients are as relaxed as possible. They may try and alleviate any fears and they have an important role to play in determining many illnesses, as without a blood test, a diagnosis often cannot be confirmed. If you think you may want to begin a career in phlebotomy, here are some of the skills you may need.
Communication Skills
When you are going to be sticking a needle in someone’s arm, communication is key. This means verbal communication as well as body language. If you look confident, calm and relaxed, your patient is more likely to put their trust in you and feel a little more relaxed themselves. Eye contact is key in communicating with patients and ensuring they understand everything you are saying and trust you. You will also need to speak with people of any age or disability, and so you may need to change how you explain the procedure dependent on this. If you love working with people and have great communication skills, you are well on your way to becoming a phlebotomist.
Empathy
When working in healthcare, one thing that is important is being able to have empathy for others. Although you may not be scared of needles, there are countless people that are and being empathetic can go a long way in a patient’s respect for you. If you do not understand their fear and you are not empathetic, they may feel less likely to trust you or feel comfortable around you. This can be particularly difficult with children as they may not understand what is happening or why. Distraction is key in this situation and getting parents involved in this can help calm the child and ensure the procedure goes as smoothly as possible.
Dexterity
Taking blood can be an extremely hard task and, as well as being able to talk to and calm a patient, you need to be able to have the dexterity to carry out taking blood. Veins can be hard to find, and you want to attempt to get a needle in first time to ensure the least discomfort to the patient. Especially with those who are attempting to move, the quicker you carry out the procedure, the better. Holding a needle and drawing blood all whilst filling blood bottles and ensuring no blood is spilled and the needle stays in the vein is difficult work and it comes with practice. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, check out Phlebotomy Training In Miami.
Becoming a phlebotomist requires training which can be done whilst you work or on the job. It can be very nerve wracking at first, but you will have people every step of the way until you feel confident in doing it on your own. You can have plenty of practice in taking blood and you will finish the course confident in your abilities to draw blood in all patients as painless and quickly as possible.
