Phlebotomy for the Health Care Provider

Phlebotomists use intravenous needles to puncture the skin and collect clinical specimens--usually blood--from patients. These specimens are used by health care providers to assist in assessing, diagnosing and treating patient conditions.

Qualifications

• The Board of Registry for the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) offers phlebotomist certification credentials, but ASCP certification is not a legal requirement in most areas. Some areas have no legal requirements for becoming a phlebotomist, and many phlebotomists are simply trained on the job. In the early 21st century, however, a greater emphasis was placed on phlebotomist training, as certification programs offered by hospitals, community colleges and tech schools began cropping up across the country.

Salary

• Since there are few technical and legal requirements to become a phlebotomist, pay is relatively low compared to other positions in the health care field. Occupational employment statistics as of 2009 provided by the U.S. Department of Labor indicated that medical and clinical laboratory technicians could expect a median wage of $17.32 per hour.

Employment

• According to the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), employment opportunities for phlebotomists were in line with the national average in 2010. New technologies may replace some of the current need for phlebotomists. However, some cutting-edge developments will also require new diagnostic tests and different types of clinical specimens, which bodes well for the overall employment security of phlebotomists.