There is a lot more to studying phlebotomy than just how to take blood. In reality, the most effective phlebotomists possess a unique mix of hard and soft skills. Hard skills are teachable abilities, such as blood drawing, that every phlebotomist should be familiar with. Soft abilities, such as being an effective communicator, are more challenging to acquire.
Among the essential characteristics for a phlebotomist are the following:
1. Positive Attitude
Not everyone enjoys having their blood drawn. Come to work with a grin and a positive can-do attitude, and you’ll discover that your workdays will pass quickly in comparison. If you approach problems with a glass-half-full attitude, you’ll find that your relationships with colleagues, patients, and leadership become a lot simpler to manage. It is simpler to get along with people and deal with complex patients when you have a good attitude. It will also give the impression that you are easy to deal with.
2. Work Well Under Pressure
You’ll discover that putting a needle into someone else’s skin may be a stressful and time-consuming experience despite your training. In the case of a parent seeing you prepare their kid for a blood draw, for example, you may feel an extra amount of pressure to do it correctly. If working under time constraints isn’t an issue for you, you have one of the most valuable soft skills a phlebotomist could possess.
Healthcare environments are notoriously fast-paced. Because patients often need immediate treatment reactions that rely on blood draws, hospital personnel mainly rely on phlebotomists to be quick and efficient in their duties.
3. Responsible
As members of the medical profession, it is critical for phlebotomists to provide the best possible care to patients while they are under their supervision. That entails complying with HIPAA regulations, understanding best practices, and being sensitive to the needs of patients. Suppose a patient relies significantly on blood donations, for example. In that case, the presence of a phlebotomist who arrives at work on time may make all the difference in whether or not that patient receives a life-saving blood transfusion right away.
To offer the best possible treatment for patients, the healthcare sector depends on the efforts of responsible people, which includes phlebotomists. Correctly labeling vials, for example, can eventually assist patients in promptly receiving accurate blood results.
4. Compassion
While drawing blood is a regular work obligation for every phlebotomist, not all patients are enthusiastic about the prospect of having their blood taken. Patients will feel more at ease if you demonstrate empathy and compassion. That may assist you in doing your duties more effectively, and patients will appreciate your compassionate approach to dealing with their anxieties. Even a little act of compassion may go a long way, mainly when dealing with anxious patients. Caring for people in the healthcare sector entails being sympathetic and kind in circumstances that may make a patient feel unsettled.
5. Good Communication Skills
The majority of companies prefer to hire workers that are good communicators when recruiting new staff. You’ll need to be a good listener and explain how a blood draw is performed correctly in the medical profession. Listening with great attention to a patient’s problems demonstrates that you are concerned about their requirements while still doing your job correctly. Excellent written and vocal communication skills are required to engage in productive conversations with other people. When you express yourself clearly and ask appropriate people questions, you will discover that you are less likely to get irritated by answers to your demands and vice versa.
6. Observation Skills
During blood draw sessions, phlebotomists are required to maintain a high degree of observational skills. Aside from making sure that you have the correct patient vials in front of you, you’ll also need to be mindful of your surroundings at all times. Even though a patient claims they are OK with a blood draw, they may get weak and dizzy if they haven’t eaten in a while. A phlebotomist will be responsible for keeping an eye out for indications of weakness or imminent fainting episodes in patients. Assessing the patient’s attitude may aid in determining how to best conduct the blood draw procedure for that patient.
Final Thoughts
Because they are such a vital part of the care team, it is especially critical that individuals in this position have excellent soft skills. These can be taught, and like with everything else, it requires knowledge and practice to become proficient.
If you are looking for reliable and holistic phlebotomy training near Illinois, Northwest Suburban College is your perfect option. We provide a continued education that will help open up exciting opportunities. Call us today and be admitted quickly!
