Phlebotomist Skills List

About Phlebotomist Jobs

A phlebotomist’s main function is to draw blood from patients. This might sound simple; however, it is a critical and imperative step in the diagnostic procedure. Phlebotomist work on the front line with patients and draw blood for a wide variety of reasons. The blood they draw from patients can be used for tests, research, donation, or even transfusions. In addition to drawing blood, phlebotomists are also in charge of labeling the blood for testing, entering information into databases, and maintaining equipment used to draw blood.

Phlebotomy is a necessary procedure in order to correctly diagnose a patient. As a result, phlebotomists can be found in almost every healthcare discipline. Phlebotomists work in hospitals, doctor’s offices, laboratories, blood donation centers, and many other outpatient clinics. One benefit of becoming a phlebotomist is having the wide selection in what type of environment to work in.

A variety of skills are needed to become a phlebotomist. Technical laboratory skills include being familiar and comfortable with specific medical equipment. They also need to have soft skills, such as kindness since many patients are uneasy at the thought of drawing blood. In addition to kindness, phlebotomist must be confident and have a strong attention to detail. They are constantly interacting with different patients who require individual and unique testing. It is important they stay alert and keep track of the many samples they collect.

How to Use a Skills Checklist

A skills list such as this one can be used several different ways. They are mostly beneficial for those that are actively searching for a new job. You can use many of the keywords in your resume to stand out when potential employers are screening candidates. You may also want to mention one or two skills in the body of your cover letter, which is a good way for you to expand on your experience. Finally, once you are invited to an interview, you can use these skill words to demonstrate your knowledge in this field.

Standard Phlebotomist Skills

• Venipuncture Sites
• Attention to Detail
• Dexterity
• Empathy
• Warming the Puncture Site
• Tourniquet Application & Removal
• Decontamination of the Puncture Site
• Blood-Borne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan
• Tuberculosis Exposure Control Plan
• PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
• Disposal of Contaminated Items
• Biohazard Waste Containers
• Post Venipuncture Site Care
• Order of Tube Collection
• Skin Puncture Sites
• Inpatient Identification
• Infants and Young Children Identification
• Emergency Department Identification
• Ambulatory Patient Identification
• Venipuncture
• Kindness
• Heel Stick
• Finger Stick
• Microcapillary Skin Puncture
• Vacutainer Holders
• Blood Culture Bottles
• Blood Culture Preparation Kits
• Drug Screen Kits
• Ova Parasite Containers
• Legal Blood Draw Kits
• Paternity Blood Draw Kits
• RSV Kits
• Serum Separator (SST Tiger Top Speckle)
• Green Top (Heparin Lithium NA+ Ammonium)
• Gray Top (NA+ Fluoride and K+ Oxalate)
• Butterfly Needles