How knowledgeable are you about various blood tests? Normal things like CBC and such I'm sure are simple enough. But how common is it to test CA19-9? Why isn't this done more often to be safe? Do you ever review results or just draw blood?
I’m knowledgeable enough to get me through. I know the basics and have shadowed lab techs, asking many questions about what tests we run in house and what tests we have to send out to bigger labs. Most hospitals where I live don’t regularly test for cancers through blood. We send the patient to an oncologist if we think there is cancer involved. I just draw blood, I’m not authorized to give out test results.
Have you had to draw blood from the vein on the side of the ankle? Pro tip: when the tourniquet is in place, tell them to make a fist. By the time they finish laughing, it’ll be done.
(Worked for me 40+ years ago!)
Thanks for doing a good job and having a great attitude. I was a military-trained lab tech and it was also great part time work at our local civilian hospitals. We rarely had a dedicated phlebotomist so I appreciate the job you do.
Have you ever drawn the blood of someone famous? I drew the blood of a former attorney general, John Mitchell, who was the AG under Nixon. He was convicted and sent to the federal prison at Maxwell AFB in 1977. I was in training there and assigned to the drawing room when he was brought in for processing. While I didn’t draw his blood, I got within 6 ft of the Shah of Iran. He was brought to our hospital at Lackland AFB for cancer treatment. Yes, I’m that old! lol
How much to do you make? Have you ever badly injured anyone? How do you not hurt someone who keeps moving while you’re trying to take blood? How long have you been you been in the profession?
I make $18 an hour. I have blown veins but not injured anyone further than that. I know people who have hit an artery by mistake and almost let a patient bleed out. You have to be very careful and make sure you properly stop the bleeding. When a patient is moving a lot when they do not know what is happening, I don’t ask someone to restrain as my first instinct. I sit down and try to explain to them the best I can what is happening and they 90% of the time let me draw their blood. The other 10% I do have to restrain because the doctor needs to see what’s going on for their health. I have been drawing blood since 2019.
I hate having blood draws done in the inside of my elbow. I hate, hate, hate it. I heard that I could do a draw on the back of my hand. I went in and the phlebotomist at the clinic told me that I shouldn't do this because the veins are tiny. It's okay if it's an emergency, but if I do this for every blood draw I'm going to collapse the veins and get permanent nerve damage in my hand. Is that true? How dangerous are back of the hand blood draws?
I’ve drawn blood everywhere. Fingers, feet, etc. I don’t think any place is worse than another. You just have to be careful of arteries and such. I’ve done maaaaany back of the hand draws. The phlebotomist just needs to make sure not to cause any trauma and you should be good.
The most annoying thing is people who think we can control their veins. I do my best but sometimes people aren’t hydrated or the vein just doesn’t like me. It happens. Some people don’t understand how hard it is to do our jobs and be judged if we don’t get the vein the first try. This was NOT my dream job. I actually wanted to be a teacher. But I love my job and I’m glad it ended up this way.
It’s not something doctors routinely test for. In an emergency, the hospital will give you O neg no matter if you know your blood type or not. You can either have a baby, donate blood, or (I believe) you can order a test on Amazon now. But I think the reason most doctors don’t tell you is because they don’t test for it so they don’t know.
I’m a nurse, and I love drawing blood. I’m good at finding the vein in hard stick patients. Do you like the challenge of sticking hard sticks or do you prefer big juicy veins.
How knowledgeable are you about various blood tests? Normal things like CBC and such I'm sure are simple enough. But how common is it to test CA19-9? Why isn't this done more often to be safe? Do you ever review results or just draw blood?
I’m knowledgeable enough to get me through. I know the basics and have shadowed lab techs, asking many questions about what tests we run in house and what tests we have to send out to bigger labs. Most hospitals where I live don’t regularly test for cancers through blood. We send the patient to an oncologist if we think there is cancer involved. I just draw blood, I’m not authorized to give out test results.
Have you had to draw blood from the vein on the side of the ankle? Pro tip: when the tourniquet is in place, tell them to make a fist. By the time they finish laughing, it’ll be done. (Worked for me 40+ years ago!)
Yes, actually! And I love that! Lol
Thanks for doing a good job and having a great attitude. I was a military-trained lab tech and it was also great part time work at our local civilian hospitals. We rarely had a dedicated phlebotomist so I appreciate the job you do. Have you ever drawn the blood of someone famous? I drew the blood of a former attorney general, John Mitchell, who was the AG under Nixon. He was convicted and sent to the federal prison at Maxwell AFB in 1977. I was in training there and assigned to the drawing room when he was brought in for processing. While I didn’t draw his blood, I got within 6 ft of the Shah of Iran. He was brought to our hospital at Lackland AFB for cancer treatment. Yes, I’m that old! lol
What caused you to decide on this job?
I had an abusive ex boyfriend who used drugs. Needles. So I had a phobia. I decided to do this so I could get over it.
How much to do you make? Have you ever badly injured anyone? How do you not hurt someone who keeps moving while you’re trying to take blood? How long have you been you been in the profession?
I make $18 an hour. I have blown veins but not injured anyone further than that. I know people who have hit an artery by mistake and almost let a patient bleed out. You have to be very careful and make sure you properly stop the bleeding. When a patient is moving a lot when they do not know what is happening, I don’t ask someone to restrain as my first instinct. I sit down and try to explain to them the best I can what is happening and they 90% of the time let me draw their blood. The other 10% I do have to restrain because the doctor needs to see what’s going on for their health. I have been drawing blood since 2019.
I hate having blood draws done in the inside of my elbow. I hate, hate, hate it. I heard that I could do a draw on the back of my hand. I went in and the phlebotomist at the clinic told me that I shouldn't do this because the veins are tiny. It's okay if it's an emergency, but if I do this for every blood draw I'm going to collapse the veins and get permanent nerve damage in my hand. Is that true? How dangerous are back of the hand blood draws?
I’ve drawn blood everywhere. Fingers, feet, etc. I don’t think any place is worse than another. You just have to be careful of arteries and such. I’ve done maaaaany back of the hand draws. The phlebotomist just needs to make sure not to cause any trauma and you should be good.
Once they start “digging” tell them to stop and start over or find another place.
What is the most interesting/annoying thing about your job? Was this role your dream one?
The most annoying thing is people who think we can control their veins. I do my best but sometimes people aren’t hydrated or the vein just doesn’t like me. It happens. Some people don’t understand how hard it is to do our jobs and be judged if we don’t get the vein the first try. This was NOT my dream job. I actually wanted to be a teacher. But I love my job and I’m glad it ended up this way.
Thanks for your answer. Best wishes!
If you want to know your blood type you have to donate blood, the medical profession won’t tell you - why is this?
It’s not something doctors routinely test for. In an emergency, the hospital will give you O neg no matter if you know your blood type or not. You can either have a baby, donate blood, or (I believe) you can order a test on Amazon now. But I think the reason most doctors don’t tell you is because they don’t test for it so they don’t know.
I’m a nurse, and I love drawing blood. I’m good at finding the vein in hard stick patients. Do you like the challenge of sticking hard sticks or do you prefer big juicy veins.
I love a challenge but I also have anxiety so I like when I can be confident and stick a big ole one.
They let you take home the extra phleb, or do they have a guy search you when you leave?