How To Get Started

There are a number of organizations that place medical volunteers worldwide where they are needed most. Doctors Without Borders is an excellent place to start, and you can also try International Medical Volunteers Association, Global Volunteer Network, Project Hope, and International Medical Corps. Successful applicants not only have the requisite medical training and a clean bill of health, they also fit a personality profile of a relaxed, confident, and above all flexible person who can adjust to difficult conditions with a smile. Volunteers may also require immunizations and some training specific to the local conditions. Most organizations ask for a commitment of at least two months — International Medical Corps also has an on-call emergency response team of volunteers who may be deployed with 72 hours notice to deal with emergency conditions.

Where in the World?

Most volunteer organizations center their efforts in lesser-developed nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, but there may also be positions available in remote areas of other countries. For example, medical workers are often in high demand in rural areas of the United States; if you would prefer to work in Canada or Europe, a position like this might suit you. Project Hope volunteers live and work on a hospital ship that travels the globe to places where it is most needed.

Volunteer organizations make an effort to place people in their preferred regions, but your first-choice country may not be available. There will be many opportunities during the application process to specify your preferred nation or region and anywhere you absolutely do not want to go.

What To Expect

Wherever you go, your new living and work environments will not be what you are used to at home, but that’s part of the fun of traveling. Most volunteer positions will be in low-income or free clinics in either urban areas or remote villages with no hospital nearby. Some of them may be in areas affected by war or other crises. A volunteer phlebotomist may encounter diseases that don’t exist in the industrial world any more. Patients will suffer from malnutrition, poor sanitation conditions, and parasites. Depending on the area, a clinic may see a high percentage of HIV+ patients.

The clinic setting will be primitive compared to a hospital or laboratory in the United States. Equipment will be dated if it’s available at all, and basic supplies such as gloves, alcohol, and clean needles may be less than plentiful. Also, part of volunteering in a clinic where medical personnel are so limited means being flexible. You may be asked to perform other duties besides drawing blood.

A medical volunteer position in another country is an excellent way to gain valuable experience, travel, learn about a new culture, and make lifelong friends. Most important, it’s a way to earn self-confidence and get to know yourself and your capabilities. It’s not for everyone, but for those who are called, it’s a life changer.

Unemployment Programs

If you are currently unemployed and receiving unemployment checks or public assistance, then you may be able to obtain a scholarship or gain access to special funding for a phlebotomy program. You should consult with your local unemployment office and ask them about the programs they offer.

Job Corps Program

The Job Corps offers a lot of free and low cost programs to young adults between the ages of 18-25. If you are within their income and age guidelines, then you will likely be a candidate to receive their free training program. They offer training and classes in a wide variety of fields from healthcare to business.

Hospital Training Programs

If you happen to live in an area that has a lot of hospitals or a large medical school, then it is likely that one of these facilities offers a training program or fast track for phlebotomy. Also, if you already happen to work for one of these institutions then it is likely that they will offer some type of reduced cost training program or even a tuition reimbursement program. You can contact your human resource department for more information about what types of programs they offer.

Career Colleges and Trade Schools

Career colleges and trade schools often offer free or low cost training for those that would like to become a phlebotomist. There are some scholarships available as well depending on the school, so you will have to request more information from the school.

Rehabilitation Programs

There are a number of rehabilitation programs that offer funding for education and training. Rehabilitation programs for ex-offenders, drug addicts, and even physical rehabilitation for people with work related injuries are usually eligible to receive assistance for their education. You can find out more about this by visiting an unemployment office or job center.

Community colleges

Community colleges already offer most of their classes at a relatively low price as it is. Many community colleges offer scholarships to those that have a strong academic background or a significant amount of financial need. Phlebotomy programs are offered at many institutions and you can find out more about what they offer by contacting the financial aid office.

Scholarships and grants

Since you will be attending school like anyone else, you are still eligible for most of the scholarships and grants out there. You can look for grants and scholarships online or get a book from the library that has an extensive list of programs that you can apply for.

Becoming a phlebotomist is a rewarding career experience and you should be able to do that without taking out student loans. There is plenty of money available, but you will have to put forth some effort to find it. Try to look for funding before school starts and make it a rule to apply for everything that you are eligible for. You may not win every scholarship or get funding from every program, but chances are that you will end up with at least some funding for your education.

One of the most important labs in the health care system is the clinical lab. This is where lab technicians process cultures in order help diagnose different diseases. Generally, small samples of the collected specimen are incubated in order to examine exactly how it is multiplying. Toxicology, microbiology, virology, mycology and bacteriology are all important areas focused on in clinical lab setting. Blood samples are the primary area of focus in chemical labs. This is where blood samples are analyzed using sophisticated technology. This will be an important setting for you if you choose to pursue a career in phlebotomy. The blood bank is where blood donations are matched with patients who are in need. The pathology and histology lab is where biopsies are explored. In this lab setting, a pathologist and histology technician work together to perform important analyses. Finally, the cytology lab is a vitally important lab in the health care system. This is where cytologists examine cells in order to reach a determination as far as whether they are healthy or not. If the cytologist discovers abnormal cells, the pathologist will be referred to for confirmation.

As you can see there are several important labs that have important duties associated with them in the health care system. These labs include the following: The clinical lab, chemistry lab, blood bank, pathology and histology lab and cytology lab. If you have decided to pursue a career in phlebotomy, it is important that you have a general understanding of these important labs. You will gain a better understanding of these labs and their functions during your phlebotomy training process.

It is important that you really sell yourself vigorously and forcefully through your resume. This means highlighting your training, certification status, skills, accomplishments and awards. It is important that your resume is clean and not packed with clutter. Consider using bullet points and remember to list items such as your education and training in chronological order. In order to really craft a cohesive and well-organized resume, it is critical to begin with a well-written objective because everything else will come naturally. In order to be viewed as a professional, use the proper tense, which should be the present tense for any current job and past tense for past jobs. It is important that prospective employers view you as being a confident phlebotomist candidate when reading your resume, but do be careful and avoid exaggerating and stretching the truth. If you do stretch the truth, you will create false expectations that you cannot live up to.

Since you are applying for phlebotomy jobs, make sure that your work experience in the field, education, clinical training and certification are all very clearly marked on your resume. This is the red meat area that prospective employers will look at when making hiring decisions. You may find it in your best interest to stand out from the competition by teaching a phlebotomy training course, which you can then add on your resume.
If you have recently completed your education, training and certification in the field of phlebotomy, it is now time to craft a powerful resume in order to secure employment. It is important that your resume is clean, concise and highlights all your accomplishments and skills. You want prospective employers to see that you are confident, but you also want to make sure you do not stretch the truth and create false expectations.

The most common procedure you will be able to complete routinely after your education and training is a venipuncture procedure. During the venipuncture procedure, you will insert a safety or butterfly needle into a patient’s vein and then you will attach the needle to tubes so that blood can be collected. It is important that you collect the proper amount of blood, apply proper pressure to the wound bandage it appropriately. Another very common procedure a phlebotomist will routine execute is a finger stick during which the index finger, heel or foot of a patient will be pricked so that blood can be collected and later analyzed. The phlebotomist will cover the wound with a cotton ball. As an aspiring phlebotomist, you can also expect to use arterial stick to measure blood gases or perform other tests. A phlebotomy technician must be extremely focused and organized when labeling blood samples so that they are assigned and can be identified with the correct patient. It could become very dangerous if any mistakes are made in the labeling process. Another very important task that a phlebotomist must regularly execute is properly completing all necessary paperwork pertaining to patients and samples. This is a very important administrative responsibility.

As you can see, phlebotomists are responsible for executing several very important procedures. Venipunctures and the finger stick are two routine procedures in phlebotomy used to collect and later analyze blood samples. In addition, properly labeling samples and completing all necessary paperwork accurately pertaining to patients and samples are important tasks that all phlebotomists must execute. The specific tasks that phlebotomists have to complete also vary depending on the work setting and employer.

The major legal issue that a career in phlebotomy involves is negligence. In the process of collecting blood, there are a number of potential possibilities for negligence to take place. This includes, but is not limited to, making a mistake in patient identification, using incorrect patient positioning for procedures, using the wrong puncture location, using wrong equipment for blood collection and not adhering to safety protocol. It is absolutely imperative that you are always fully focused on-the-job if you want a successful career in phlebotomy. You will be required to practice extensively in drawing the proper amount of blood and storing it properly if you want to become a phlebotomist. It is in your best interest to secure liability insurance to protect yourself as a phlebotomist.

As far as the ethical issues are concerned for phlebotomists, it is important that treat patients with respect and communicate effectively with them. You should be in good standing with your employer and should strive to do the best job you possibly can. It is important that strictly follow all rules, regulations and guidelines established by your employer. If you believe that certain processes can be improved or are not managed properly, you should speak out about it.

A career in phlebotomy can be highly rewarding and fulfilling and the training process is not that time-consuming. You can expect to take a course that addresses the legal and ethical issues faced by phlebotomists. As long as you do your job carefully, pay attention to details, treat patients with respect and follow all regulations and safety protocol, you will have a successful career in phlebotomy.

Phlebotomists are at a very high risk for needlestick injuries because of the number of venipunctures that are performed on-the-job. Needlestick injuries are wounds that result from an accidental puncturing of the skin. Those workers who use hypodermic syringes and other instruments are at an especially high risk for needlestick injuries. What does this possibly mean for you if do go on to become a phlebotomist? Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV must all be considered. Transmission of Hepatitis B can be nearly completely prevented through vaccination. However, transmission of viral Hepatitis C from needlestick injuries is a major potential health risk that all aspiring phlebotomists must be made aware of. You must also be made aware of the small HIV related health risk that exists working as a phlebotomist. There are 51 well-documented cases of HIV infections transmitted patients to health care workers. Out of these 51 cases, 20 were affiliated with phlebotomy. You will learn much more about all the potential health risks that exist when working in phlebotomy when you receive formal training. You will learn to follow strict safety protocol and regulations in order to minimize health risks to you and patients.

If you have chosen to pursue a career in phlebotomy, feel confident knowing that this is a strong field firmly embedded in the medical industry. Phlebotomists play a very important role in diagnosing the health of patients. It is important that you do understand the risk of needlestick injuries that exist when working in phlebotomy. Hepatitis C is an especially major concern in this field. You will learn important safety protocol when you receive formal training that will help minimize any potential threats or dangers working in this field.

During your series of clinical rotations in phlebotomy training, you can expect to work in a hospital or lab setting to perfect your understanding and ability to carry out important procedures in the field. You will absolutely practice completing venipunctures during your clinical rotations in phlebotomy training. With this important procedure, you will insert a safety needle into a patient’s vein and then you will attach the needle to tubes so that blood can be collected. It is important that you collect the proper amount of blood, apply proper pressure to the wound bandage it appropriately. This is the most common procedure involved in phlebotomy and you will learn more about it during your clinical rotations. The finger stick is another important procedure you will practice during clinical rotations. With this procedure, you prick the index finger, heel or foot of patients to draw blood. You can also expect to learn about the techniques and technology involved in analyzing blood samples, important safety protocol and proper ways to store blood.

If you have chosen to pursue a career in phlebotomy, feel confident knowing that you have chosen a field that boasts strong job prospects and is embedded in the health care industry, which means you will provide real medical service to patients. You must complete rigorous clinical rotations during your phlebotomy training. You will understand how to properly perform such procedures as venipunctures and finger stick. You will also be exposed to the technology in analyzing blood samples as well as important safety protocol.

According to the National Phlebotomy Association, phlebotomists must meet the current standard of 1.8 Continuing Education Units per year. This is to ensure that phlebotomists can meet and measure up to high standards. According to the National Phlebotomy Association, 1 Continuing Education Unit is equal to ten hours of training time. The National Phlebotomy Association has outlined several activities that can be applied toward the required credits. Certification and recertification classes in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by the American Heart Association or Red Cross can be applied toward the required credits. You might be interested in attending a relevant health care seminar or workshop, as attendance to such events can be applied toward the required credit threshold. Do you enjoy teaching? You can teach a phlebotomy training course and apply this to your necessary Continuing Education requirements. You could also complete relevant volunteer work or take further courses in a university or community college. The unifying theme around these activities is that they all help to keep your skills as a phlebotomist strong.

If you are working as a phlebotomist, you must continuously work on both maintaining and developing important skills necessary to do your job effectively. You can do some research and find the full list of activities approved by the National Phlebotomy Association that can be applied to required Continuing Education Units. You can choose those activities that you will likely enjoy and benefit the most from. If you have a passion for teaching, you may opt to teach a phlebotomy training course for some period of time. If you enjoy learning, you could enroll in a relevant university or community college course.

In order to receive financial aid for phlebotomy training, the first item on your checklist must be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You must do some research and find independent scholarships you can apply to in order to receive some financial assistance as well. For example, the American Society for Clinical Pathology offers scholarship opportunities to aspiring phlebotomists based on educational goals. Other organizations offer general scholarships to individuals pursuing training for work in any part of the health care industry. Aid is often given on a first-come, first-serve basis and so it is absolutely vital that you are aware of all deadlines and submit your application material well in advance of deadlines.

If you want to minimize the cost of your phlebotomy training, it is important to research and compare the costs involved in various training programs. You may even want to consider potential online educational training programs for phlebotomy. While you will obviously have to complete hands-on training in a hospital or lab setting, you may be able to replace classroom education with online education, which can definitely save you some money.

If you have decided to pursue a career in phlebotomy, you should feel confident knowing that you are entering a profession in the health care industry that is in high demand and directly involved in helping others. It would be in your best interest to seek financial assistance by completing the FAFSA form and applying to independent scholarships. It is absolutely essential that you submit all your application material well in advance of posted deadlines. If you want to further minimize the cost of phlebotomy training, do some research on the cost of various programs and consider completing some portions of your training through online courses.