Phlebotomy technicians collect blood from patients and prepare the samples for testing. Most work in hospitals and clinics, but some collect blood for donation purposes. Phlebotomy technicians are important members of the health care team and often need to explain the blood-drawing procedure and put patients at ease.
With constantly evolving medical technologies, phlebotomy technicians must know the difference in blood test types and should be aware of how medications and diet impact blood samples.
Scope of practice
Phlebotomy technicians are responsible for drawing samples of blood and preparing them for testing. Common tasks and duties include:
- Explaining procedures to patients
- Comforting patients that might be nervous about needles
- Taking blood pressure, pulse, and respiration readings
- Drawing blood
- Applying bandages after blood is drawn
- Sending blood, urine, or fecal samples to the lab for testing
- Sterilizing equipment and cleaning workspaces
- Updating patient medical records
Work environment
Phlebotomy technicians work in hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices, nursing homes, private home care, medical labs, blood donation centers, research institutes, and insurance companies. They may work day, evening, or night shifts, including weekend and holiday hours. The majority of their time is spent on their feet, interacting with patients or preparing samples to be sent to the lab.
Becoming a phlebotomy technician
Due to the intricate work of inserting needles into hard-to-find veins, phlebotomy technicians need to have well-tuned fine motor skills. They need to be able to handle difficult and emotional patients that might be afraid of needles. Finally, they need to be detail-oriented and able to remember safety precautions, how different diets can affect blood samples, and exactly how samples need to be treated to appropriately test them.
Higher education requirements
To become a phlebotomy technician, you must have a high school degree or equivalent and a phlebotomy technician training program. These programs can last a few months to a year.
Certification process
The certification process can vary depending on which organization is certifying the phlebotomy technician. These organizations include the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, National Healthcareer Association, and the American Medical Technologists. Requirements typically include a high school diploma or GED, a phlebotomy training program, and potentially some work experience.
Career opportunities and outlook
Phlebotomy technicians can expect a median salary range of $37,380.
Phlebotomy is an expanding field with excellent career opportunities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment of phlebotomist technicians to grow much faster than average. Blood testing is an essential task in health care so demand for phlebotomy technicians is likely to increase since doctors use blood work for analysis and diagnosis.
To advance their careers, some phlebotomy technicians choose to get certified in a particular area to become phlebotomy specialists or donor phlebotomy technicians. With additional experience and education, others become medical lab technicians, medical assistants, or registered nurses [R.N.s].
By the numbers
NHA exam
Which of the following tubes should a phlebotomy technician collect first when obtaining dermal samples?
A phlebotomy technician is preparing to draw a peak level for a medication that was administered orally to a patient. After verifying when the patient received the medication, how long should the technician wait prior to attempting the draw?
2 hr. after administration
Which of the following action is a phlebotomy technician required to take before leaving a patient's room
Initial and mark the date and time on each tube drawn.
How frequently should a phlebotomist perform a quality control test on a glu856+cometer in the laboratory
Every day the meter is used
A phlebotomist is assembling the equipment he will need for collecting donor units of blood. Which of the following needle sizes should the technician select
phlebotomist is preparing a patient for a routine venipuncture. Which of the following antiseptic solutions should the technician use
phlebotomist is preparing to dispose of contaminated sharps. According to OSHA standards, which of the following actions should the technician take
Replace the sharps container when it is 2/3rds
phlebotomist is reviewing a laboratory requisition before obtaining blood specimens from a patient. The technician should verify that the requisition includes which of the following information
specimen identification code.
phlebotomist is selecting a site to collect a blood specimen from a patient. After applying a tourniquet, the technician sees no apparent vein to use for the venipuncture. Which of the following actions should the technician take
has the patient dangle her arm for 1 to 2 min.
After placing a tourniquet on a patient's arm, a phlebotomy technician notices small red spots below the tourniquet. Which of the following terms describes these spots
phlebotomy technician is collecting a urine specimen form a patient for a pre-employment drug test. Which of the following actions should the technician take
Verify that the specimen contains at least 45 mL of urine.
phlebotomist has collected a blood specimen from a patient who is in an isolation room. Which of the following pieces of personal protective equipment [PPE] should the technician remove first?
phlebotomist is preparing to obtain a blood specimen from a patient in an outpatient setting. Using standard precautions, which of the following pieces of personal protective equipment should the technician wear?
phlebotomist is preparing to draw blood from a patient's arm and observes a sore at the site where the tourniquet is to be placed. Which of the following actions should the technician take
Tie the tourniquet over the patient's sleeve.
phlebotomist is preparing to collect a blood specimen from a patient who had a right sided mastectomy. Which of the following sites should the technician select
Medial cubital vein in the left arm
phlebotomist should comply with HIPPA to protect which of the following
phlebotomist is educating a patient about the at home collection of a semen specimen. Which of the following statements by the patient indicates an understanding of the procedure
. "I will collect the specimen in a sterile container and return within 2 hours.
When collecting a routine blood sample, which of the following veins should a phlebotomist attempt to draw from first
phlebotomist is collecting capillary blood drops on a filter paper card to screen a newborn for phenylketonuria. Which of the following actions should the technician take
Apply blood to the prinded side of the filter paper
Which of the following actions should a phlebotomist take a location a vein using the warming technique?
Encase the warm towel in a plastic bag.
phlebotomist is preparing to collect a blood specimen from a patient who signed a general informed consent form upon admission to the facility. Which of the following actions by the patient indicates implied consent for the venipuncture
Rolling up on his shirtsleeve
phlebotomist is obtaining a blood specimen from a patient. The patient report experiencing a sharp, painful, and tingling sensation going down her arm and into her hand. The technician should recognize that which of the following complications of venipunc
phlebotomist is using a point-of- care test system to determine a patients WBC count. For which of the following results should the technician immediately notify the provider
When should a phlebotomist perform external liquid controls for quality control on a CLIA-waived glucose point-of-care test
When a new lot number or kit is opened
A phlebotomist should select a tube that has which of the following anticoagulants to collect a sample for a PT/PTT test
phlebotomist should identify that which of the following is an identifier for a specimen as long as it remains in the laboratory
phlebotomist is preparing to obtain a blood specimen from a patient for an erythrocyte sedimentation rate test. The technician should select a collection tube that has a top with which of the following colors
phlebotomist is preparing to collect a vancomycin peak level for a patient in an inpatient setting. Which of the following action should the technician take prior to collecting the blood specimen
Ask the attending nurse if the patients vancomycin dose schedule is accurate.
phlebotomist should identify that which of the following is the first step in blood collection procedure
After exiting a patients room which of the following is the last piece of personal protective equipment [PPE] a phlebotomist should remove
phlebotomist is applying a tourniquet prior to collecting a blood specimen from a patient. Which of the following actions should the technician take
Tuck a partial loop of tourniquet underneath the tourniquet
phlebotomist is preparing a peripheral blood smear from a patient's capillary blood. Which of the following actions should the technician take
use the second drop of blood that emerges from the puncture
phlebotomy technician should select a tube that has which of the following additives when collecting a blood specimen for a CBC
which of the following reason should a phlebotomist centrifuge a serum specimen before transport to an outside reference laboratory
Cells must be separated from the serum
phlebotomist is preparing to perform a venipuncture for a 2 year old child. The child asks if the blood draw will hurt. Which of the following statements should the technician make
You will feel a small prick.
phlebotomist has a requisition form for a series of test on a patients serum. The technician should select a collection tube that contains which of the following additive
Which of the following personal protective equipment provides a phlebotomist with the best protection when drawing blood from a patient who has active tuberculosis
phlebotomist is preparing to obtain a blood specimen from a patient for thyroid studies. The technician should select a collection tube that has a top with which of the following colors
phlebotomist is preparing to enter a patients room to collect a blood specimen. Which of the following actions should the technician plan to take
Communicate name and department affiliation to the patient
Which of the following actions should a phlebotomist take after collecting an ammonia specimen
Place the specimen tube in an ice water slurry
Which of the following actions should a phlebotomist take to maintain compliance with HIPAA
Clear phone numbers from the fax machine
phlebotomist is preparing to obtain a blood specimen to determine a patients sodium level. The technician should select a collection tube that has a top with which of the following colors
After verifying a patients identity, a phlebotomist sees that the patients laboratory results are ready. Which of the following actions should the technician
Inform the patient to contact the ordering provider to obtain the results
phlebotomist is preparing to draw blood from a patient who has scabies. Which of the following pieces of personal protection equipment should the technician use
Which of the following sources for patient identification should a phlebotomist use in an inpatient setting
phlebotomist is reviewing a lab test requisition form before obtaining blood specimens from a patient. Which of the following actions should the technician take prior to performing venipuncture
Check the requisition form for duplicate test orders.
provider has ordered a urine culture and sensitivity test. Which of the following types of urine collection should a phlebotomist obtain.
Clean catch and midstream
phlebotomist is preparing several specimens for transport to the facilities lab. Which of the following specimens should the technician protect from bright light by placing it in an amber/brown biohazard bag for transport
Which of the following test results are affected when a phlebotomist uses povidone-iodine to cleanse a site for a dermal puncture
phlebotomist receives a chemical plash to his forearm. After removing his contaminating clothing, which of the following is the minimum amount of time the technician should rinse that affected area
which of the following procedures should a phlebotomist follow chain of custody guidelines
phlebotomist is performing a venipuncture for a patient who begins to seize. Which of the following actions should the technician take
phlebotomist observes a hematoma developing at the site of a venous blood draw. Which of the following action should the technician take
Release the tourniquet and stop the draw
phlebotomist has a requisition form to perform a chromosome analysis for a patient. The technician should select a collection tube that contains which of the following additives
phlebotomist is preparing to draw blood from a patient who states that this is his first blood draw. Which of the following actions should the technician take
Describe the procedure to the patient
phlebotomist is performing a total cholesterol point of care test for a patient which of the following findings should the technician immediately report to the provider
phlebotomist is disposing of used supplies when he accidentally receives a needlestick injury. According to OSHA guidelines, which of the following actions should the technician take first
Wash the puncture site with soap and water
phlebotomist is drawing a patients blood when the patient states that she is becoming dizzy and light headed. Which of the following actions should the technician take first
Remove the tourniquet and needle
phlebotomist is collecting a blood specimen from a patient. Which of the following techniques should the technician use to anchor the wein just before inserting needle
Use the thumb to anchor the vein 5cm[2in] below the puncture site.
phlebotomist is collecting a blood specimen from a patient who has cutaneous diphtheria. Besides gloves, which of the following pieces of personal protective equipment should the tech wear
phlebotomist has a mild sensitivity to latex. According to the National Institute for occupational safety and health [NIOSH], which of the following actions should the technician take
Wear nitrile gloves instead of latex gloves
phlebotomist is following the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute's [CLSI] clinical laboratory workflow pathway. As part of the post examination phase of this process, which of the following actions should the technician take
Enter critical laboratory data
phlebotomist is preparing to perform a fingerstick for a patient. Which of the following actions should the technician take first
Confirm the identity of the patient.
phlebotomist is collecting a blood specimen from a patient to measure the trough level of a medication. The technician should collect the specimen at which of the following times
Within 15 min before the patient receives the next dose of medication
phlebotomist is preparing to collect blood specimen from a small vein of an older adult patient. Which of the following actions should the technician take to keep the vein from collapsing
Use a small needle for the draw
phlebotomist has a request to collect a routine CBC from a healthy 10 month old infant. Which of the following collection sites should the technician select
unconscious patient is brought to the emergency department, and several blood tests are ordered. A phlebotomist should collect the patients blood because he has received which of the following types of consent
phlebotomist is using an evacuated needle holder and blood collection tubes to collect blood from a patient. Which of the following actions should the technician take
Push the first collection tube gently into the holder
According to OSHA standards, how often should a phlebotomist wash her hands with soap and water
After every third use of hand sanitizer
phlebotomist uses alcohol to cleanse a venipuncture site. Before performing the venipuncture, the technician should allow the site to dry for which of the following reasons
Alcohol requires time for antiseptic action to take effect
According to standard precautions, a phlebotomist should take which of the following actions when shipping specimens to a reference laboratory in hot weather
Place the specimen in a box with cold packs and a biohazard label
phlebotomist is using a glucose monitor for pint of care testing of a patient who has been fasting for 12 hr. For which of the following results should the technician immediately notify the provider.
prevent hospital acquired infections a phlebotomist should clean items that have been contaminated by blood with a 1:10 dilution of which of the following substances and water?
which of the following reasons should a phlebotomist examine the antecubital areas in both of a patients arms?
The median cubital vein could be more accessible on one side than the other.
Which of the following is the best method for a phlebotomist to collect a blood specimen from an older adult patient who has fragile, easy to collapse
Choose a syringe and butterfly assembly and transfer to an ETS tube.
phlebotomist is obtaining a blood culture specimen from an adult patient. Which of the following actions should the technician take
Withdraw the blood into a sterile safety syringe.
phlebotomist is preparing to perform a blood draw on a patient who had a left sided mastectomy and has an IV on her right side. In which of the following locations should the technician perform the draw
phlebotomist is preparing to collect a blood specimen from a patient who is allergic to alcohol. Which of the following antiseptic solutions should the technician use to prepare the insertion site
phlebotomist is removing his gloves after a venipuncture procedure. Which of the following actions should the technician take
Remove the first glove so that it turns inside out during removal
phlebotomist sees a coworker receive a major electrical shock from an instrument. Which of the following actions should the technician take first
Shut off power to the instrument
phlebotomist is interviewing a patient before performing a venipuncture. During the interview, the patient states that he lives nearby and ran to the facility to "get in some running time today." Which of the following precautionary actions should the tec
Have the patient rest comfortably for at least 15 min before the venipuncture
Prior to transport, which of the following specimens should a phlebotomist place in an ice bath within 30 min after collection?
phlebotomist is collecting a blood sample from a newborn who weighs 3.2kg [7lb] which of the following amounts is the maximum volume of blood the technician can draw from this newborn at one time
phlebotomist should transport a semen sample at which of the following temperatures
phlebotomist is collecting a blood specimen from a patient. To avoid hemolysis, which of the following precautions should the technician take
Ensure the alcohol at the insertion site has dried
phlebotomist is preparing to collect a blood specimen from the hand of patient whose veins are difficult to access. Which of the following devices should the technician use
phlebotomist is preparing to collect a patients troponin T level. Which of the following troponin T levels should the technician immediately report to the provider
phlebotomist should use a capillary collection instead of a venipuncture in which of the following situations
patients veins are inaccessible
Which of the following collection tubes should a phlebotomist use when collecting for a routine chemistry test that requires serum
phlebotomist is performing a venipuncture using a winged infusion set. The red topped tube fills, but the light blue topped tube slows and does not fill completely. Which of the following actions should the technician take
Insert a new light blue topped tube to see if it will fill
phlebotomist is collecting a blood specimen from a patient who has pneumonia. Besides gloves, which of the following pieces of personal protective equipment should the technician wear
phlebotomist is preparing to draw blood from a patient in an inpatient setting. The patient extends his arm and turn his head away. This action by the patient is an example of which of the following types of consent
phlebotomist is preparing to perform a venipuncture on a patient who states, " I faint at the sight of blood." Which of the following position is optimal for the patients safety during the procedure
Lying in a reclined position
phlebotomist should identify that which of the following colors signifies a health hazard in the national fire protection association [NFPA] 704 marking system