Career Options in Phlebotomy

During the recession until today, phlebotomist is considered one of the fall-back careers for good reasons. One, the number of employees needed in a clinical lab is expected to grow by 2016, what with the aging population and the increasing demand for new tests. Two, the job outlook in phlebotomy is gearing towards the positive path, as shown by statistics. Lastly, formal training as phlebotomist is fairly short compared to other medical programs. Most states only require 200 hours of training over the course of four to eight months, and not all of them require a certification, although being certified definitely has its advantages.

Moreover, starting out as a phlebotomist opens doors to other career options, whether closely related to phlebotomy or not.

Phlebotomy Technician

Working as a phlebotomy technician serves as your entry level to other job opportunities. Your key responsibilities primarily involve drawing blood from patients’ veins as requested by a doctor, verify patients’ identity and maintain their records, maintain and assemble phlebotomy equipment, and label blood samples accurately.

Anyone with a high school diploma can train as a phlebotomist, but more opportunities are available with a postsecondary diploma or certificate in Phlebotomy. It is also highly recommended to acquire professional certification, to enjoy more than just the median salary of over $30,000.

Phlebotomist Supervisor

This is one of the highest-paying jobs in the field of phlebotomy, with phlebotomist supervisors earning a salary of over $47,000. Your duties will also take on a bigger scope, but less on the blood collection procedure since you will have technicians to do the work for you. As a supervisor, you will be managing a team of phlebotomist, planning the day-to-day staffing schedule, including emergency cover. The task of ensuring that all equipment and supplies are used appropriately, and all department, company and OSHA policies are followed, also falls on your shoulder. Any problems in your department will also be your responsibility.

To become a phlebotomist supervisor, you must have experience in internal medicine, hematology or infectious disease. You may also need to have knowledge in scheduling and payroll.

Certified Phlebotomist

The work of a certified phlebotomist is not that different from that of a phlebotomy technician, but with extras. Of course, if you are earning $2,000 more than the usual salary of a technician, you should expect to do more. In this case, more includes conducting patient interviews, transporting blood samples for testing and assisting in certain events, such as blood drives.

Patient Service Technician (PST) Phlebotomist

Apart from phlebotomy skills, you must have prior experience as a PST to be accepted for this job. If you worked as a PST specialist, you only need to update your skills in phlebotomy to snag a spot in any facility. This is because PST specialists are well-versed in patient care and interaction, which is a requisite for PST phlebotomist. Also included in your job is to check vital signs, update a patient’s chart and even assist in bathing and transporting patients. As a PST phlebotomist, you must have excellent communication and listening skills. In this job, your remuneration can run up to $30,000.

Phlebotomist Float

A phlebotomist float may be called something else in other states, but the tasks are basically the same. Your primary responsibilities still focus on blood extraction, but in various facilities within a particular area or territory. This is why you must be highly organized, so you can juggle jobs between facilities and according to your client’s shift times. You must be able to collect blood samples from one clinic and then do the same in other laboratories or hospitals, without contaminating the specimen or failing to complete an entire procedure, from extraction to transportation. To excel in this task, your communication skills must be as good as your technical know-how.

Nurse Medical Assistant Phlebotomist

Along with a median salary of $46,000 are more demanding job and qualification requirements. If there is anything that the job title tells you is that you are handling two duties. So, apart from a formal training in phlebotomy, you must have experience working as a medical assistant or in a physician’s office to be hired for this job. As for educational requirements, you must get CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) 100 and phlebotomy training with advanced clinical skills or practicum.

Blood Bank Laboratory Technician

To upgrade to a blood bank laboratory technician, you need a certificate or associate’s degree in the field of clinical laboratory science. This is because your job responsibilities go beyond collecting blood samples. You will be tasked to collect blood units from donors, test blood for type, separate blood components and perform blood transfusions whenever necessary. After completing school and training, you should also get a license or professional certification. Although taking this step on the phlebotomy career path requires additional work and training, you are likely to enjoy job security. Demands for medical and clinical laboratory technicians, after all, are predicted to grow to 30% by 2022. You will also earn over $7,000 more from your median salary as a phlebotomy technician.

Hematology Technologist

Working as a hematology technologist puts you in the top hierarchy in all phlebotomy career options. But this could mean getting a bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory technology, which is not that easy and cheap. Your duties will also upgrade to include complex analysis of blood samples using microscopes and other computerized equipment. You also have to log data from any tests performed. Similar to a laboratory technician, you must be licensed or possess a professional certification. Once you meet all requirements, you can enjoy a hefty median salary of over $58,000.

These are just a few of the career options available in phlebotomy. You can even venture to something slightly related, such as sales and marketing. That is, you sell equipment necessary in phlebotomy or other medical procedures. Your knowledge as a phlebotomist will surely come in handy when delivering your sales pitch, since you are aware of the many challenges phlebotomists face.

Like most employment opportunities, however, choosing which job to upgrade to require careful planning and selection. You must choose based on your work experience and the capacity to undergo training. Remember that the higher position you aspire to have more academic and work requirements than those entry positions in phlebotomy. In summary, choose a career option based on the following:

• Highest educational attainment
• Cost of training
• Length of time needed to spend training
• Willingness to face the challenges

Working as a phlebotomist technician alone doesn’t earn much, which is why you must upgrade as high as you can. Train and get certified to higher positions to get more from your job as phlebotomist.