Phlebotomists
Draw blood for tests, transfusions, donations, or research. May explain the procedure to patients and assist in the recovery of patients with adverse reactions.
What is this job like?
- Conduct standards tests, such as blood alcohol, blood culture, oral glucose tolerance, glucose screening, blood smears, or peak and trough drug levels tests.
- Collect fluid or tissue samples, using appropriate collection procedures.
- Collect specimens at specific time intervals for tests, such as those assessing therapeutic drug levels.
- Transport specimens or fluid samples from collection sites to laboratories.
- Monitor blood or plasma donors during and after procedures to ensure health, safety, and comfort.
- Enter patient, specimen, insurance, or billing information into computer.
- Draw blood from capillaries by dermal puncture, such as heel or finger stick methods.
- Draw blood from veins by vacuum tube, syringe, or butterfly venipuncture methods.
- Conduct hemoglobin tests to ensure donor iron levels are normal.
- Perform saline flushes or dispense anticoagulant drugs, such as Heparin, through intravenous (IV) lines, in accordance with licensing restrictions and under the direction of a medical doctor.
- Calibrate or maintain machines, such as those used for plasma collection.
- Organize or clean blood-drawing trays, ensuring that all instruments are sterile and all needles, syringes, or related items are of first-time use.
- Organize or clean blood-drawing trays, ensuring that all instruments are sterile and all needles, syringes, or related items are of first-time use.
- Administer subcutaneous or intramuscular injects, in accordance with licensing restrictions.
- Draw blood from arteries, using arterial collection techniques.
- Train other medical personnel in phlebotomy or laboratory techniques.
- Serve refreshments to donors to ensure absorption of sugar into their systems.
- Dispose of contaminated sharps, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, and policies.
- Dispose of blood or other biohazard fluids or tissue, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, or policies.
- Explain fluid or tissue collection procedures to patients.
Local Wage Data
Showing wage data for: New Orleans
Entry
Median
High
Salary
Hourly Wage
$30,250
$38,530
$51,610
$14.54
$18.53
$24.81