Advances in technology have morphed the way education is handled. In fact, even the field of phlebotomy offers an online program. However, since you can’t use a computer to successfully practice drawing blood on a patient, not all of your training can be completed via the internet.

You Need Actual Experience
You can’t accomplish learning to draw blood and taking other samples for the body without actually doing it yourself. You also need to help of a skilled professional to watch over you and critique your technique. The hands-on help is very essential during the learning process, so you can learn the correct way. Flaws in your technique are extremely difficult to break because they become habit; therefore, you want to start out on the right track.

Training You Can Do Online
You’ll learn about normal blood test results, which can be done via the online portion of your education, because during this part of your education, you are just going over the information and not conducting any testing. Throughout your training to become a phlebotomist, you will take different classes if you choose one of the degree options, as opposed to the certification programs. These classes range from your basic prerequisites like an English class and a math class to more specific course that relate to the healthcare field. Even many biology classes are able to be taken via the internet, since technology allows you to conduct laboratory experiments in a virtual setting.

Finding a School With an Online Program
Before you attend school, you obviously must find which one is best suited to meet your needs. To find an online school, you may use our database to find listings of only schools that offer online programs. Our site allows you to narrow down the results by zip code, program choice and whether the school has an online option, which makes finding a school quite simple. After you find a school that is both close to you and online, use our site to find more information regarding the educational institutions. Remember, even though you’re in a distance learning program, you still need to attend a clinical segment, where you’ll need to be at the facility. Make a comparison of the schools. Take into consideration price, the commute and the curriculum should also play a major role in your decision.

If you’re interested in attending school for phlebotomy, you obviously want to know whether the training will actually be worth your time. Not only that, you don’t want to spend money on your education, if you’re not going to reap any benefit in the end. You’ll be happy to know the field of phlebotomy is projected to be a wonderful area of study to enter into.

Their Duties and Responsibilities
A phlebotomist is responsible for gathering blood and other samples from human beings for diagnostic purposes. In some instances, they may be required to test the specimens they collect or at least prepare them. Generally, a phlebotomist works in a laboratory, in a clinic, in a hospital, a nursing home or in a physician’s office. The specifics of their duties is determined by their place of employment, since a phlebotomist in a laboratory will do more testing than specimen collecting, while one in a hospital will complete more blood draws and far less time testing samples.

Average Wages
Depending on the location where you work will be the deciding factor on your pay. For instance, you can expect to earn on average $12.50 an hour in a hospital, states the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This averages to be an annual income of about $26,000 per year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, phlebotomists working in private clinics make about the same. Those who are hired to work in a physician’s office can expect a slightly higher paycheck, since they earn about $13 per hour. This figure average out to the equivalent of $27,040 per year.

Phlebotomist Job Outlook
If you’re looking for a job with stability, this is definitely a choice you want to consider. Since people will always need to have medical testing done, people in this field will always be able to find work. In fact, the BLS deems phlebotomy and other clinical jobs to have excellent job opportunities. The BLS projects that jobs in this field will grow quickly. Their exact figure is that clinical laboratory jobs like phlebotomy will increase from 14 percent from 2008 until 2018. The Bureau of Labor Statistics foresees a majority of these positions arising in hospitals; however, employment opportunities in labs, clinics, ambulatory services and physician’s offices will grow, as well. The BLS even declares that the number of jobs in this field is expected to exceed the number of people in this field.

Certain attributes are crucial no matter which profession you choose. This holds true if you plan to go to school to become a phlebotomist. You should definitely ask yourself if you have these traits, so you know prior to attending school, if this profession is really for you or not.

Steady Handed
If you’re more of the nervous type or just have an unsteady hand, this field may not be for you. In order to successfully practice venipuncture, you must be able to hit the vein with the needle. If you have an unsteady hand, you increase the risk of habitually missing the vein. In addition, the patient will feel any shakiness you may have. In fact, an unsteady hand can hurt a patient.

Enjoy People
While some phlebotomists spend time actually testing the blood, a majority of them must work one-on-one with patients most of the day. In this particular profession, you can expect to come across a variety of personality types—some good, some bad. Depending on where you work, you may even work in various units, meaning you will deal with infants, teenagers, toddlers and adults.

Strong Stomach
Blood makes some people extremely queasy. Due to the fact that phlebotomists deal with blood and other bodily functions, only the non-squeamish should apply for this type of work. Remember, your patients might not always be in the best of health, so you’ll witness patients who have various medical conditions, including visible skin conditions, women in labor and open wounds and sores. Of course, the type of encounters you have is based upon the location where you work.

Caring/Compassionate
Anyone who works in the medical profession, especially if they actually come in contact with patients, should be a caring and compassionate individual. You need to be able to sympathize with your patients and in some cases be a shoulder to cry on. You need to be a kind individual who genuinely wants what is best for the patients.

Detail Oriented
If you want to be able to draw blood accurately, you need to pay close attention to what you’re doing. When you don’t focus on the small details, this can mean serious medical errors that may harm the patient. In addition, these errors might cause a physician to misdiagnose, depending on the mistake.

Knowledgeable
Individuals who work in the medical field must be well informed about the health and wellness of human beings. This comes from your education; however, this is one of the training programs where you need to pay attention and soak in all the material that you possibly can. In other words, you should study to gain knowledge, not just to pass a test.