First off, welcome to the hospital. As you'll soon find out, we keep quite busy around here. The extra skilled hands will be welcomed. You come with high recommendations and professional credentials. We are confident that our patients will be in good hands with you.
We do have some specific rules and regulations regarding phlebotomy procedure. I just wanted to take some time to alert you to some of these.
As I'm sure you know, taking universal precautions is essential. This means wearing gloves for all patient contact involving body fluids. Change gloves between patients and always keep a pair of gloves nearby for emergencies.
In addition to following standard industry practices, we also have some of our own rules. Some patients may not be verbal. Some patients could suffer from complications due to excessive bleeding or other conditions. That's why it is essential to identify all patients through their wristbands and charts.
We also like our phlebotomists to have all the equipment ready before the procedure begins and to take time out to explain what will happen to the patient.
These steps help reduce anxiety. They can make the taking of blood a much less stressful process for the patient -- and for you.
Again, welcome. I look forward to a long professional relationship.
Dennis Ernst is the director of the Center for Phlebotomy Education in Indiana. He says phlebotomists require superior communication skills because they're essentially ambassadors for the entire lab.
"Most patients never see anything of the laboratory except the phlebotomist....The person who draws the blood puts forth either a negative or a positive image on what happens to the specimen," says Ernst.