A career in health care can be quite rewarding, but it can be hard to know where to start. You may not be sure if a career as a registered nurse or medical doctor is right for you if you have not yet dipped your toes into the waters of the medical world. One way to find out if medicine would make a good lifetime career for you is to get started as a phlebotomist.
Phlebotomy is a Greek term referring to blood. However, this career is not as gory as it may initially seem. Your main job will be taking blood draws from patients in a hospital or at a clinic. Although this is a stepping stone career choice for many individuals, it does not mean that it is simple or boring. In fact, you will quickly discover many rewards within this career and may find that phlebotomy becomes even more rewarding the longer you work at it. Here are just a few of the dividends you will reap.
-You will be helping patients care for their health.
All patients need blood tests at various times throughout their lives. From checking the glucose level of a pregnant woman to drawing emergency labs on a trauma victim, you can know that you are helping doctors diagnose patients and helping them get better.
-You will experience a challenging and exciting profession.
No two days as a phlebotomist will be the same. Wherever you work, you will constantly be seeing new patients and learning about new conditions.
-You will gain experience in working with other health professionals.
Working in a professional environment will give you a chance to learn more about medicine as a whole and to see what other health care workers do every day. This is an interpersonal job rather than one that will keep you behind the scenes.
-You will experience good pay in a growing field.
As of 2018, phlebotomists earned an average of $34,480 per year, which is more than CNAs made. In addition, the field is expected to grow by 23% by 2028.
Of course, there are many reasons other than these to consider a job in the phlebotomy profession. Most training programs are quite short, allowing you to start your career in no time at all. Plus, you have plenty of options of where you could work. While most phlebotomists work in hospitals, clinics and skilled nursing facilities, the sky is the limit when it comes to choosing an area of the country to practice your profession. From urban centers to rural areas, every city requires the skills of phlebotomists.
Project Heartbeat offers a Phlebotomy Technician Certificate Program, which can get you in the door of the medical profession in no time at all. This course is conveniently offered in Oakland, California, and lasts only five weeks. During this time, you will spend 80 hours on campus learning in the classroom and practicing your skills in the on-site laboratory. You will also get 40 hours of practice during an externship. Upon completion of the course, you will be eligible to complete testing from the National Center for Competency so that you can immediately begin your career. Contact Project Heartbeat today to learn more about how you too can participate in this rewarding and exciting career.