Phlebotomy Technician Recent News and Articles
Are you interested in a career as a Phlebotomy Technician? To learn more about phlebotomy, the following articles are recommended.
Articles in Phlebotomy are provided by the Center for Phlebotomy Education, Inc., and are to help students remain fully knowledgeable on blood collection basics, advanced topics and emerging developments in the field of specimen collection. These articles can be found at http://www.phlebotomy.com/Downloads/LessonLibrary.htm
Here are brief descriptions of the articles:
Title: Drawing Under Special Conditions
Description: When posed with the challenge of drawing from patients with fragile veins, edema, mastectomies and IV infusions, Phlebotomy Technicians must find a suitable site, which requires careful consideration. This article discusses the latest thinking on drawing outside the antecubital area, draws above and below an IV, venipunctures and capillary punctures on mastectomy patients and geriatric considerations. A must read for anyone considering being a phlebotomist.
Title: Phlebotomy's Best-Kept Secret: The Order of Draw
Description: Filling blood collection tubes in the wrong order has been shown to affect test results, which can have serious and life-threatening consequences to the patient. This article discusses the history, theory, and the current CLSI standard on the order in which collection tubes must be filled by a Phlebotomy Technician.
Title: OSHA Update
Description: The key to safety and compliance is a regular review of the OSHA standards as they pertain to specimen collection, processing, and handling. This lesson provides an update of key provisions of the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard as of July, 2004. Topics for phlebotomy include glove use, plastic collection tubes and bottles, wearing lab coats and other PPEs during specimen processing and testing, tube holder reuse and more.
Title: Pediatric Pointers
Description: This article discusses some of the most important pointers that those who draw blood specimens from pediatric patients must know and master in order to minimize the trauma of the experience for the child, to obtain specimens that are not affected by preanalytical errors and to protect the child from injury and the collector from accidental exposures. Pointers for any phlebotomist, include proper site selection, pre-warming techniques, strategies to calm fears, proper positioning and performing a painless venipuncture.
Title: What Every Phlebotomist MUST Know!
Description: Based on the latest CLSI standards, this article discusses critical components that every phlebotomy technician and phlebotomy assistant must know to perform venipunctures safely and successfully. Topics include patient identification, the newly revised NCCLS order of draw, site and vein selection, nerve injuries, labeling specimens, professionalism and much more useful information for a phlebotomist.
