WHAT TO EXPECT DURING PHLEBOTOMY?
There's nothing much for a patient to do during phlebotomy. However, there's a lot of behind-the-scenes duties for the phlebotomist.
For the patient, some tests may require you to fast hours before the scheduled session. Your physician should give you instructions beforehand.
The procedure can be done while you're sitting or lying down. You'll then be asked to make a fist with your hand, and a tourniquet will be tied around your upper arm. This will make your veins more apparent, making it easier to insert the needle in the right place.
You may feel a small sting when the needle goes into your arm. Your blood will be drawn through a needle, into a small tube, and eventually to a test tube or a bag. For a test, it will usually take 2-3 minutes to draw enough blood.
The needle will be removed when the phlebotomist obtained the necessary amount of blood for testing. They will then remove the tourniquet and bandage the area. You may be asked to press down on the gauze for a few minutes until the bleeding stops.
WHAT'S EXPECTED FROM A PHLEBOTOMIST?
For the phlebotomists, it's important to correctly identify the patient. If they get the wrong person on the wrong blood sample, this may throw off data drastically which may cause a lot of problems along the line.
Once identity is confirmed, the phlebotomist must understand the purpose of the blood draw so they take only the necessary amount of blood.
Phlebotomists are expected to be friendly, approachable, and sympathetic. Some people become weak at the sight of blood, and it's the phlebotomist's responsibility to handle these situations well.
When blood has been drawn, the phlebotomist must correctly label the samples. They also have to ensure that the right tests are done so that the results will be accurate.
