Phlebotomy

Alternative Job Titles for Phlebotomists

• Lab Liaison Technician
• Mobile Examiner
• Patient Service Technician (PST)
• Phlebotomist
• Phlebotomy Technician
• Registered Phlebotomist

Job Tasks and Activities for Phlebotomists

• Administer subcutaneous or intramuscular injects, in accordance with licensing restrictions.
• Calibrate or maintain machines, such as those used for plasma collection.
• Clean medical equipment.
• Collect biological specimens from patients.
• Collect fluid or tissue samples, using appropriate collection procedures.
• Collect specimens at specific time intervals for tests, such as those assessing therapeutic drug levels.
• Conduct diagnostic tests to determine patient health.
• Conduct hemoglobin tests to ensure donor iron levels are normal.
• Conduct standards tests, such as blood alcohol, blood culture, oral glucose tolerance, glucose screening, blood smears, or peak and trough drug levels tests.
• Dispose of biomedical waste in accordance with standards.
• Dispose of blood or other biohazard fluids or tissue, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, or policies.
• Dispose of contaminated sharps, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, and policies.
• Draw blood from arteries, using arterial collection techniques.
• Draw blood from capillaries by dermal puncture, such as heel or finger stick methods.
• Draw blood from veins by vacuum tube, syringe, or butterfly venipuncture methods.
• Enter patient, specimen, insurance, or billing information into computer.
• Explain fluid or tissue collection procedures to patients.
• Explain technical medical information to patients.
• Feed patients.
• Give medications or immunizations.
• Maintain medical equipment or instruments.
• Maintain medical records.
• Monitor blood or plasma donors during and after procedures to ensure health, safety, and comfort.
• Monitor patients to detect health problems.
• Organize or clean blood-drawing trays, ensuring that all instruments are sterile and all needles, syringes, or related items are of first-time use.
• Prepare medical instruments or equipment for use.
• Serve refreshments to donors to ensure absorption of sugar into their systems.
• Teach medical procedures to healthcare personnel.
• Train other medical personnel in phlebotomy or laboratory techniques.
• Transport biological or other medical materials.
• Transport specimens or fluid samples from collection sites to laboratories.

Interests for Phlebotomists

• Realistic
  Designing, building, or repairing equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors.
• Conventional
  Following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting.
• Investigative
  Studying and researching scientific subjects and human behavior.

Skills for Phlebotomists

In order of importance

• Service Orientation
  Looking for ways to help people.
  Importance: 66/100
• Social Perceptiveness
  Understanding people's reactions.
  Importance: 63/100
• Speaking
  Talking to others.
  Importance: 60/100
• Active Listening
  Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
  Importance: 60/100
• Critical Thinking
  Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
  Importance: 56/100
• Writing
  Writing things for co-workers or customers.
  Importance: 53/100
• Coordination
  Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
  Importance: 53/100
• Reading Comprehension
  Reading work-related information.
  Importance: 53/100
• Monitoring
  Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
  Importance: 53/100
• Instructing
  Teaching people how to do something.
  Importance: 50/100
• Active Learning
  Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
  Importance: 50/100
• Time Management
  Managing your time and the time of other people.
  Importance: 50/100
• Learning Strategies
  Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
  Importance: 47/100
• Quality Control Analysis
  Testing how well a product or service works.
  Importance: 47/100
• Judgment and Decision Making
  Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
  Importance: 47/100
• Complex Problem Solving
  Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
  Importance: 41/100
• Management of Personnel Resources
  Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
  Importance: 38/100
• Persuasion
  Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
  Importance: 38/100
• Science
  Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
  Importance: 35/100
• Operations Monitoring
  Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
  Importance: 35/100
• Systems Evaluation
  Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
  Importance: 31/100
• Systems Analysis
  Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
  Importance: 31/100
• Mathematics
  Using math to solve problems.
  Importance: 28/100
• Operation and Control
  Using equipment or systems.
  Importance: 25/100
• Negotiation
  Bringing people together to solve differences.
  Importance: 25/100
• Troubleshooting
  Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
  Importance: 25/100
• Management of Material Resources
  Managing equipment and materials.
  Importance: 22/100
• Equipment Selection
  Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
  Importance: 19/100
• Management of Financial Resources
  Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
  Importance: 19/100
• Equipment Maintenance
  Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
  Importance: 16/100
• Programming
  Writing computer programs.
  Importance: 16/100
• Technology Design
  Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
  Importance: 16/100
• Repairing
  Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
  Importance: 13/100
• Operations Analysis
  Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
  Importance: 6/100

Knowledge for Phlebotomists

In order of importance

• Customer and Personal Service
  Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  Importance: 89/100
• English Language
  Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  Importance: 69/100
• Administrative
  Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
  Importance: 61/100
• Education and Training
  Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  Importance: 60/100
• Psychology
  Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  Importance: 55/100
• Computers and Electronics
  Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  Importance: 54/100
• Medicine and Dentistry
  Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
  Importance: 52/100
• Administration and Management
  Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  Importance: 49/100
• Public Safety and Security
  Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  Importance: 49/100
• Biology
  Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  Importance: 48/100
• Production and Processing
  Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  Importance: 46/100
• Personnel and Human Resources
  Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
  Importance: 45/100
• Chemistry
  Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
  Importance: 44/100
• Law and Government
  Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  Importance: 43/100
• Sociology and Anthropology
  Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
  Importance: 38/100
• Communications and Media
  Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  Importance: 34/100
• Mathematics
  Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  Importance: 34/100
• Telecommunications
  Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
  Importance: 30/100
• Foreign Language
  Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
  Importance: 29/100
• Mechanical
  Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
  Importance: 29/100
• Therapy and Counseling
  Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
  Importance: 27/100
• Economics and Accounting
  Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
  Importance: 27/100
• Transportation
  Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
  Importance: 27/100
• Building and Construction
  Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
  Importance: 25/100
• Design
  Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  Importance: 25/100
• Engineering and Technology
  Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
  Importance: 23/100
• Physics
  Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
  Importance: 22/100
• Sales and Marketing
  Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
  Importance: 21/100
• Philosophy and Theology
  Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
  Importance: 18/100
• Food Production
  Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
  Importance: 16/100
• Geography
  Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
  Importance: 15/100
• Fine Arts
  Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
  Importance: 14/100
• History and Archeology
  Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
  Importance: 10/100

Physical Abilities for Phlebotomists

In order of importance

• Near Vision
  Seeing details up close.
  Importance: 72/100
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  Keeping your arm or hand steady.
  Importance: 69/100
• Problem Sensitivity
  Noticing when problems happen.
  Importance: 66/100
• Oral Comprehension
  Listening and understanding what people say.
  Importance: 63/100
• Written Comprehension
  Reading and understanding what is written.
  Importance: 63/100
• Oral Expression
  Communicating by speaking.
  Importance: 63/100
• Speech Clarity
  Speaking clearly.
  Importance: 60/100
• Deductive Reasoning
  Using rules to solve problems.
  Importance: 60/100
• Finger Dexterity
  Putting together small parts with your fingers.
  Importance: 56/100
• Information Ordering
  Ordering or arranging things.
  Importance: 56/100
• Speech Recognition
  Recognizing spoken words.
  Importance: 56/100
• Inductive Reasoning
  Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
  Importance: 53/100
• Written Expression
  Communicating by writing.
  Importance: 53/100
• Flexibility of Closure
  Seeing hidden patterns.
  Importance: 53/100
• Category Flexibility
  Grouping things in different ways.
  Importance: 53/100
• Selective Attention
  Paying attention to something without being distracted.
  Importance: 50/100
• Perceptual Speed
  Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
  Importance: 50/100
• Manual Dexterity
  Holding or moving items with your hands.
  Importance: 50/100
• Far Vision
  Seeing details that are far away.
  Importance: 47/100
• Visual Color Discrimination
  Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
  Importance: 44/100
• Time Sharing
  Doing two or more things at the same time.
  Importance: 38/100
• Visualization
  Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
  Importance: 38/100
• Fluency of Ideas
  Coming up with lots of ideas.
  Importance: 38/100
• Multilimb Coordination
  Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
  Importance: 35/100
• Extent Flexibility
  Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  Importance: 35/100
• Originality
  Creating new and original ideas.
  Importance: 35/100
• Mathematical Reasoning
  Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
  Importance: 31/100
• Memorization
  Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
  Importance: 31/100
• Control Precision
  Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
  Importance: 31/100
• Stamina
  Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
  Importance: 31/100
• Trunk Strength
  Using your lower back and stomach.
  Importance: 31/100
• Auditory Attention
  Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
  Importance: 28/100
• Number Facility
  Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
  Importance: 28/100
• Speed of Closure
  Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
  Importance: 28/100
• Static Strength
  Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
  Importance: 28/100
• Dynamic Strength
  Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
  Importance: 25/100
• Depth Perception
  Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
  Importance: 25/100
• Hearing Sensitivity
  Telling the difference between sounds.
  Importance: 25/100
• Gross Body Coordination
  Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
  Importance: 25/100
• Reaction Time
  Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
  Importance: 22/100
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  Keeping your balance or staying upright.
  Importance: 22/100
• Rate Control
  Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
  Importance: 19/100
• Response Orientation
  Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
  Importance: 19/100
• Explosive Strength
  Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
  Importance: 19/100
• Speed of Limb Movement
  Quickly moving your arms and legs.
  Importance: 19/100
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
  Importance: 16/100
• Spatial Orientation
  Knowing where things are around you.
  Importance: 3/100
• Dynamic Flexibility
  Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  Importance: 3/100

Tools and Technology used by Phlebotomists

• Anatomical human mannequins for medical education or training
• Arterial blood gas monitors
• Bag tag printer
• Bar code reader equipment
• Benchtop centrifuges
• Blood bank refrigerators
• Blood collection needle holders
• Blood collection needles
• Blood collection syringes
• Blood drawing or phlebotomy chairs
• Capillary or hematocrit tubes
• Clock timers
• Dispensing pins or needles
• Glucose monitors or meters
• Intravenous tubing with catheter administration kits
• Lancets
• Laser fax machine
• Medical carts
• Medical staff aprons or bibs
• Microcentrifuges
• Needle or blade or sharps disposal containers or carts
• Non vacuum blood collection tubes or containers
• Notebook computers
• Pasteur or transfer pipettes
• Personal computers
• Phlebotomy trays or accessories
• Radiographic locators
• Shaking incubators
• Specimen collection or transport bags
• Spill kits
• Sputum collection apparatus or containers
• Stool collection containers without media
• Surgical isolation or surgical masks
• Tissue culture coated plates or dishes or inserts
• Tourniquets
• Urinalysis analyzers
• Volumetric pipettes
• Winged infusion needle set
• Calendar and scheduling software
  • Scheduling software
• Electronic mail software
  • Microsoft Outlook
• Medical software
  • Donor management system software
  • Electronic medical record EMR software
  • Iatric Systems MobiLab
  • Laboratory information system LIS
  • MEDITECH Blood Bank
  • MEDITECH Laboratory and Microbiology
  • MEDITECH software
  • Medical procedure coding software
• Office suite software
  • Microsoft Office software
• Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Excel
• Web platform development software
  • JavaScript
• Word processing software
  • Microsoft Word

Employment Industries for Phlebotomists

• Medical and diagnostic laboratories
  43,900 employed
• General medical and surgical hospitals; private
  40,900 employed
• All other ambulatory healthcare services
  23,900 employed
• Offices of physicians
  11,000 employed
• General medical and surgical hospitals; local
  5,800 employed
• Temporary help services
  3,800 employed