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As a Phlebotomist are you the one to take the blood back to the lab and test it yourself or do you drop it off for someone else to do it ?
high school student looking for advice on future career
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3 answers
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Peyton’s Answer
It can depend on where you work- if you have just been trained to be a phlebotomist, you will only be collecting the blood and transporting it to the lab. There are some hospitals, typically smaller ones, where phlebotomists can also be trained to be lab assistants and do some of the blood processing themselves, but from my experience this isn't common. Most phlebotomists are responsible for knowing how to collect the blood and how to correctly transport it. You will get to learn about how to correctly draw blood for many different kinds of tests, but in most cases you won't be doing the tests yourself. There are some very easy tests- like blood sugars- that phlebotomists usually learn to do themselves since they don't require a lot of equipment to do.
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ian’s Answer
Phlebotomists don't treat patients, but they work closely with patients, including newborns, babies, children, adults, and older adults.1
Phlebotomists are trained to draw, collect, and properly handle, store, and deliver blood in the correct containers. They do not process blood but are responsible for ensuring that the blood reaches the lab safely with the correct labels and documentation.
A phlebotomist can draw anything from a drop for a rapid blood test to around 500 millimeters (mL) for a typical blood donation.2
Phlebotomists can also perform therapeutic phlebotomy, a procedure in which 500 mL of blood is taken once or twice a week to help normalize iron blood levels in people with hereditary hemochromatosis
Phlebotomists are trained to draw, collect, and properly handle, store, and deliver blood in the correct containers. They do not process blood but are responsible for ensuring that the blood reaches the lab safely with the correct labels and documentation.
A phlebotomist can draw anything from a drop for a rapid blood test to around 500 millimeters (mL) for a typical blood donation.2
Phlebotomists can also perform therapeutic phlebotomy, a procedure in which 500 mL of blood is taken once or twice a week to help normalize iron blood levels in people with hereditary hemochromatosis
Updated
Karissa’s Answer
They do basic lab tests right there. If you have a rare test (like kidney function) they send it out to a bigger lab.