A day as a phlebotomist
You work at your local NHS hospital or GP surgery, obtaining blood samples from patients and ensuring their safe delivery to the laboratory for testing.
Your first task is to take blood from an elderly, diabetic patient who isn't recovering well from an operation. After correctly identifying and consenting the patient, you explain to the patient exactly what's going to happen, then decide on the best area to take the sample and the most suitable equipment to use. In this case the veins in his arm are fine, so you clean the area and insert a needle.
After the blood sample has been collected, you ensure it is stored and labelled correctly, and ensure it is delivered to the laboratory for processing. You enjoy being a vital part of a life-saving medical team, and meeting all sorts of different people every day.
