How to?

Have you ever wondered what a Phlebotomist is or what a Phlebotomy is? Some people say “No, what is that?” So I say someone who is certified to draw blood or “Blood Sucker.” The definition for phlebotomist is a health professional that is trained in the process of making an incision or puncture in a vein for removing or collecting blood. The process itself is referred as a Phlebotomy.
The first step is to have a requisition from the doctor. Ask the patient to have a seat. Print the labels needed to label the test tubes ordered by doctor. There is some prep work prior to the venipuncture. First you introduce who you are and what you will be doing. Then wash your hands so there sterilized from any kind of germs or infections. Put gloves on get the color tubes needed to run the appropriate test. Tubes come in different colors due to different additives in each color tube. The needle comes in different gauges 21, 22 or a butterfly needle is the most common. Place the tourniquet on the patient’s upper arm. In the mean time you should preparing tools needed for the venipuncture. Get gauze, medical tape, alcohol swabs and attach the adapter to the needle.
Now the physical parts of the process, ID your patient, sterilize the antecubital space. Which is the space located at the bend of the elbow. The tourniquet makes the veins in your patients arm raise so you can feel the bulgy and spongy feeling of the vein. They always say “Don’t think it’s a vein just because you can see it” you want to be able to feel the vein. Take the needle remove safety place with bevel up assure the patient there going to feel a pinch. Once you’re in the vein you place the tube inside the adapter you attached to needle. Watch how the tube fills up with blood. There are so many shades that blood comes in from ruby red to a fresh ripe juicy tomato. Make sure you remove the tourniquet and tube before you remove the needle from vein. If you don’t the patient could get what is called a hematoma. Hematoma is blood or clot that has accumulated outside of a blood vessel. Pull needle out with gauze over the needle, apply pressure. Enforce safety on the needle and discard in a biohazard container. Never throw any materials with blood on them in the trash. ID your patient for the second time. The reason for doing this more than once is because you don’t want to label the tubes with the wrong patient’s information. Take the gauze off look to make sure of no heavy bleeding. If there is apply more pressure and have them raise their arm above their heart helps the stop of heavy bleeding. Get a fresh piece of gauze and medical tape over the venipuncture. Let the patient know the doctor will be contacting them with the results.
This is my career I’m a phlebotomist. Hope you learned that there is more to this than just as I described it as “Blood Sucker.” It’s a process and steps you need to follow. You can also proceed with this job and get your associates degree in Clinical Lab Technician. Which consist of you doing it from start to finish? Draw the blood, bring to lab, analysis it and test it, and report back to doctor with the results.