Phlebotomist
Career outlook for phlebotomist
UK Salary Ranges
Entry-level
£22,000
£22,000
Experienced
£28,000
£28,000
Currently employed in Scotland
42,700
Salary information is provided by the "National Careers Service". "Oxford Economics" supplies job forecasts and employment figures. Due to COVID-19 the jobs market is constantly changing. Some of the information may not reflect the current situation.
What's it like?
You would take blood samples from people in hospital so their illness can be diagnosed and they can be treated.
You'd need to have a calm and friendly manner to put people at their ease when they may be nervous and distressed.
The samples you'd take would be important for diagnosing illness. As a phlebotomist you'd need to label the samples correctly and send them for analysis and testing in a laboratory.
You would:
- Explain the procedure to patients
- Reassure patients if they are nervous or distressed
- Insert a hypodermic needle into the vein and draw off the blood into a tube
- Apply a dressing to the puncture made by the needle
- Label the blood sample
- Deliver the sample to the correct laboratory within required timescales
- Complete records and enter data on a computer
At all stages you would follow set procedures carefully so that samples are not contaminated or mixed up.
You could work with babies, adults and older people, with a wide range of conditions. You would need to follow the appropriate procedure for each type of patient you work with.
You can see more about the role on the phlebotomist page on the NHS Careers website.
Working conditions
Hours
Environment
UK employment status
Full-time
55%
Part-time
43%
Self employed
2%
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- Positive attitude
- Resilience
- Supporting
- Listening
- Verbal communication
- Empathising
- Social conscience
- Developing a plan
- Making decisions
- Taking responsibility
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Foundation Apprenticeships
Choosing a Foundation Apprenticeship as one of your subjects in S5 and S6 can help you get a head start with this type of job.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification (the same level as a Higher) plus valuable work placement experience and skills you can't learn in a classroom.
Interested? Find out what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
Qualifications
Most employers value a good general education qualifications at SCQF levels 4 to 6; or relevant work-based qualifications such as a Scottish Vocational Qualification in Healthcare Support (SVQ level 2/3).
Useful subjects
- English
- Maths
- Science subjects
You will also need
To be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme run by Disclosure Scotland.
Helpful to have
Qualifications that show a strong interest in health and wellbeing and science such as Laboratory Science (SCQF level 5).
A driving licence can also be helpful.
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