Before we start discussing more phlebotomist, we need to know who is a phlebotomist. Let us explain this with the help of an example: Consider a situation where you have a high fever. Once you understand that your fever is rising and the root cause for this is still unknown to you, you would visit the doctor for any medical help. The doctor would then send you further to the laboratory and ask you to get yourself checked for certain tests, which the doctor may review and prescribe medicine. Now on visiting the diagnostic center when your blood sample is taken, this is where the phlebotomist comes into action.
An individual who holds the phlebotomy certification and is available to exclusively take care of any sort of blood collection, which is nothing but drawing out any blood for diagnosing purposes. The job of a phlebotomist is also to assist doctors, nurses, or laboratory technologists.
A Phlytobomist collects the sample of your blood for any of the following reasons:
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Investigating and sort of medical condition that the patient may be going through and the treatment process.
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Collection of samples for the purpose of research
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Checking the blood group of the patient may be further require for any blood transfusion.
Some of the other responsibilities that come under the scope of a phlebotomist are as under:
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Cross-examination of the patient and further checking the vital statistics
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Sending the collected blood samples to the laboratory for testing purposes.
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Maintenance of records of all the patients
How do you become one?
To become a successful phlebotomist, one must attain proper certification. This certification will help you understand the work scope better and boost your career.
The course to become a phlebotomist is usually short, making it easy for individuals with less time. The phlebotomy classes are not only conducted offline but also on the online platform for working lab technicians who want to add on their knowledge and up-skill them.
The course is one that the NSDC approves, and it mainly focuses on developing skills. That may be essential for carrying out the following duties:
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Collection, storage, and, most importantly, transportation of the medical specimens that are collect.
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Experience and knowledge about giving the basic first aid in case of any emergency that may arise while performing a venipuncture.
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Taking care of any sort of infection control measure. From discarding biomedical waste to disposing of the PPE kits while testing.
Phlebotomy course and who is eligible for the same:
After successfully completing school from a well-recognized board, anyone can apply for a course called CMLT (Certificate course in medical laboratory technology) from a recognized college or university. The course length may vary from one institute to the other, but mostly these are short. Several institutes also offer them diplomas that one can acquire. Another essential requirement is a valid driving license because the phlebotomist has to collect samples, which could be home collections, and also transport them to the laboratory, so the requirement of a driving license.
