What does a phlebotomist do?

Phlebotomists are workers in the medical field who specialize in drawing blood from patients. They ensure that patients are prepared by explaining the procedure to them, showing them tools they will use and where their blood will be stored, and answering any questions the patients may have. Phlebotomists then draw blood from the patient, patch up the area where the blood was drawn, and store the blood samples in properly labeled vials or blood bags. After the procedure, they send the blood samples to the laboratory for testing, transfusion, or any other use that there may be.
Phlebotomist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real phlebotomist resumes:
- Take patient histories and vital signs; record all information on patients EHR.
- Measure vital signs including but not limit to blood pressure, pulse, height, weight, body measurements and EKG.
- Perform triage for oncology and radiology patients that require sedation.
- Verify patient information and carefully follow all safety procedures during phlebotomy work.
- Exhibit compassion by answering patient questions thoroughly and educating patients on procedures being perform.
- Assist inTrauma situations, CPR, wind care.
- Experience using needles, syringes, and other equipment.
- Drive to acute long care facilities and rehabilitation sites.
- Get Bloodpressure, weight and height to calculate BMI.
- Certify medical assistant first aid and CPR certify at that time.
- Maintain alertness to any reactions and help assist or notify appropriate staff.
- Operate electrocardiogram (EKG) and other equipment for routine diagnostic tests.
- Confer with patients to obtain information for laboratory records, explain procedures and addressed patients concern.
- Perform capillary, venous, and arterial blood collection for laboratory analysis on infant to geriatric patients.
- Used personal protection equipment (PPE) while working with blood born pathogens.
Phlebotomist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 21% of Phlebotomists are proficient in Patients, Customer Service, and Blood Samples. They’re also known for soft skills such as Compassion, Dexterity, and Hand-eye coordination.
We break down the percentage of Phlebotomists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 21%
Worked with geriatric, adult, adolescent, newborn and neonatal infants and occasionally pediatric patients to provide Clinical Laboratory service.
- Customer Service, 9%
Coordinated the service center operations, including opening and closing, customer service and preservation of proper inventory levels.
- Blood Samples, 5%
Utilized refined occupational skills while collecting and transporting blood samples.
- Blood Specimens, 5%
Established a strong focus on regulatory compliance by collecting blood specimens in accordance with laboratory policies.
- Data Entry, 5%
Performed routine urinalysis, automated hematology, manual serology and data entry of patient information and results.
- OSHA, 4%
Evaluated quality control within laboratory using standard laboratory test and maintained compliance with CLIA, OSHA, safety and risk-management guidelines.
Most phlebotomists use their skills in "patients," "customer service," and "blood samples" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential phlebotomist responsibilities here:
Compassion. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a phlebotomist to have is compassion. Their role and responsibilities require that "some patients become anxious about having blood drawn, so phlebotomists should be considerate in performing their duties." Phlebotomists often use compassion in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "busy am draws provided compassionate patient care while performing phlebotomy procedures. "
Dexterity. Another essential skill to perform phlebotomist duties is dexterity. Phlebotomists responsibilities require that "phlebotomists must be able to use their equipment efficiently to minimize patients’ discomfort." Phlebotomists also use dexterity in their role according to a real resume snippet: "maintain infection control process by washing hands in between clients. "
Physical stamina. For certain phlebotomist responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "physical stamina." The day-to-day duties of a phlebotomist rely on this skill, as "phlebotomists stand for long periods and are often on the move throughout the workday." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what phlebotomists do: "performed physicals on potential donors performed venipunctures shipped and packaged blood according to ny state and fda regulations confidential personal data entry. "
Detail oriented. A commonly-found skill in phlebotomist job descriptions, "detail oriented" is essential to what phlebotomists do. Phlebotomist responsibilities rely on this skill because "phlebotomists must draw the correct amount of blood for the tests ordered, carefully label the vials collected, and enter information into a database to avoid misplacing samples or injuring patients." You can also see how phlebotomist duties rely on detail oriented in this resume example: "provide customer service, great attention to detail receive and process specimens to be sent out to reference laboratories. "
The three companies that hire the most phlebotomists are:
- CSL Plasma1,304 phlebotomists jobs
- Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings1,175 phlebotomists jobs
- Quest Diagnostics497 phlebotomists jobs
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Phlebotomist vs. Prn
A PRN or a "pro re nata" employee is responsible for covering a shift or a specific situation, especially during short-staffing or the need to complete a particular task. The PRNs often work for a medical industry without a regular or full-time commitment, having the freedom to manage their time and take multiple assignments from different organizations. A PRN must have excellent communication and organization skills, providing quality healthcare services to the patients and the organization.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between phlebotomists and prn. For instance, phlebotomist responsibilities require skills such as "blood samples," "blood specimens," "data entry," and "osha." Whereas a prn is skilled in "healthcare," "occupational therapy," "cpr," and "rehabilitation." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Prns earn the highest salaries when working in the professional industry, with an average yearly salary of $49,871. On the other hand, phlebotomists are paid more in the health care industry with an average salary of $34,086.On average, prns reach higher levels of education than phlebotomists. Prns are 8.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Phlebotomist vs. Nurse technician
Nurse technicians, also known as nursing aides, assistants, or attendants, usually work in clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes. Primarily, they help a registered nurse by providing essential mobility, care, and support to patients. Everyday routine duties include maintaining patients' hygiene and moving them using wheelchairs or stretchers around the facility for their meals, treatment, events, and other activities. They do tasks that help improve a patient's comfort level and become their caregivers in the long run. This job requires a high school diploma along with the completed certified nursing assistant (CNA) program.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, phlebotomist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "blood samples," "blood specimens," "osha," and "standing orders." Meanwhile, a nurse technician has duties that require skills in areas such as "cpr," "rehabilitation," "home health," and "direct patient care." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, nurse technicians earn a lower salary than phlebotomists. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, nurse technicians earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $32,642. Whereas phlebotomists have higher pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $34,086.nurse technicians earn similar levels of education than phlebotomists in general. They're 1.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Phlebotomist vs. Medical scribe
As a medical scribe, their main responsibility is to follow a physician's daily work and do charting of patient encounters in real-time by accessing their medical electronic health record (EHR). It is their duty to make sure the patient schedules are followed, generate referral letters for physicians and manage and sort medical documents within the EHR. Medical scribes can be held as data custodians, medical assistants, and nurses to focus on patient in-take and care throughout clinic hours. In addition, they manage patient flow through the clinic and increase productivity to cater to more patients.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, phlebotomists are more likely to have skills like "customer service," "blood samples," "blood specimens," and "osha." But a medical scribe is more likely to have skills like "medical terminology," "excellent organizational," "physician assistants," and "strong work ethic."
Medical scribes earn the highest salary when working in the health care industry, where they receive an average salary of $29,968. Comparatively, phlebotomists have the highest earning potential in the health care industry, with an average salary of $34,086.When it comes to education, medical scribes tend to earn similar degree levels compared to phlebotomists. In fact, they're 2.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.9% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Phlebotomist vs. Student medical assistant-externship
Student Medical Assistant Externship is a broad term for catering students for short, reliable, and practical work experience. Once you graduate, you can get a chance to meet contacts that may be useful for your career. You can have a better chance to work in a clinic, hospital, and any medical platform after going through this kind of externship.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between phlebotomists and student medical assistant-externships, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a phlebotomist might have more use for skills like "customer service," "blood samples," "blood specimens," and "osha." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of student medical assistant-externships require skills like "cpr," "surgery," "urinalysis," and "venipuncture. "
The average resume of student medical assistant-externships showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to phlebotomists. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 3.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.8%.Types of phlebotomist
Updated January 8, 2025











