THE ROLE OF A

PHLEBOTOMIST: IN
HEALTH CARE &
PATIENTS RIGHTS
By: Amanda Mims
THE PHLEBOTOMY PROFESSION

Phlebotomy - the act of removing blood from a vein.
Phlebotomist - the person taking the blood.

The phlebotomist is a member of the healthcare team and
must demonstrate professional behavior at all times.

Professionalism - the qualities that characterize a
professional person and the conduct they should exhibit.

Example:
It would be unprofessional for a teacher to bring alcohol to
school.
THE PHLEBOTOMY PROFESSIONAL
Other necessary qualities and characteristics include..

Dependability - be ready to work, be on time, be present
Integrity - honest, loyal, have pride in work
Compassion - being sensitive to a patients needs and fears
Empathy -putting oneself into the patients shoes
Self-confidence - trust in oneself and in ones own
judgment
Self-motivated - feels the need to get the job done
correctly each day
Interpersonal skills - must communicate effectively with
patients as well as fellow workers
THE PHLEBOTOMY PROFESSIONAL
Ethical Behavior
Ethics - rules of performance and conduct
both personal and professional.
Ethical behavior - the standard of right and
wrong for the sake of the patient.

Phlebotomists cannot do anything that would
possibly harm the patient.
THE PHLEBOTOMY PROFESSIONAL
Personal Appearance
Clothing should be clean and wrinkle-free.
Shoes should be in good condition.
Hair styles should be conservative.
Personal hygiene should be exceptional.
Hands and nails should be clean
Jewelry, fragrances, and makeup should be
moderate.
HEALTH CARE SETTINGS
Phlebotomists have the opportunity to work in
many health care facilities, such as:
Physicians office laboratories
Reference laboratories
Urgent care centers
Nursing home facilities
Wellness clinics
In order to keep their certificate current,
phlebotomists must participate in continuing
education.
ROLE OF THE PHLEBOTOMIST
The phlebotomist is an important member of the
medical laboratory team.
Their most important duty is to collect blood
specimens from patients.
The phlebotomist must be sure that the specimen
is taken correctly and properly, and that the
appropriate tools are used.
The phlebotomist helps ensure that specimens are
collected in a timely manner and are transported
to the laboratory.
ROLE OF THE PHLEBOTOMIST
Phlebotomists work in more than one area, such
as patient care, specimen processing, and other
office assignments.
Phlebotomists will collect blood by venipuncture or
by capillary puncture.
Some phlebotomists are now being allowed to
perform arterial punctures. This is the taking of
blood directly from a artery.
Venipuncture - collecting blood from a vein.
Capillary puncture - collecting blood from the
fingers or feet.
ROLE OF THE PHLEBOTOMIST
Phlebotomists may enter the patients name and data into
the laboratory information system (LIS).
They may be able to perform simple tests on patient
specimens, like point-of-care tests.
Other skills and roles of the phlebotomist include:
Monitoring vital signs
Communication with patients and other lab workers
CPR and AED certified
Knowing information about frequently ordered tests
Knowing medical terminology
Performing electrocardiography (ECG)
Clerical skills
Preparation of blood smears
PATIENT RIGHTS & SAFETY
Phlebotomists need to know a patients
rights.
Most of the time a patient is informed of his
or her rights on a paper statement and they
must sign that they are aware of their rights
before they can receive any services.
This form becomes a part of their chart and
is kept by the health care facility.
PATIENT RIGHTS & SAFETY
In 1975, the American Hospital Association (AHA),
published a Patient's Bill of Rights.
This bill listed specific rights of patients receiving care in
the hospital only.
In 2003 the previous bill was replaced by the Patient Care
Partnership.
This new bill was created to ensure the satisfaction of the
patient, physician, and health care facility by making clear
the rights, expectations, and responsibility of all people
involved in the patients care.
The new bill also addresses the responsibilities of both the
patient and the physician.
PATIENT RIGHTS & SAFETY
Patients can expect..
High quality hospital care
A clean and safe environment
Involvement of the patient in their own care
Protection of privacy
Preparing the patient and their family for departure from
the hospital.
Help with billing and the filing of insurance claims

http://www.aha.org/content/00-10/pcp_english_030730.pdf
PATIENT RIGHTS & SAFETY
Hospitals can expect the patient to:
Tell their caregivers about their concerns and if they are in
pain.
Give accurate information about their past medical history
including: past illnesses, surgeries, hospital stays, allergies,
any medicines or dietary supplements.
Give network or admission requirements under their health
plan.
Provide Knowledge and copies of their power of attorney,
living will, or an advance directive stating their end-of-life
care requests.
PATIENT RIGHTS & SAFETY
If a patient believes that a hospital has
violated their legal rights, they can take
legal action against the hospital.

Phlebotomists are responsible
for upholding and supporting the beliefs of
their employer.
REFUSAL OF TREATMENT
Patients have the right to refuse medical
treatment, including blood draws.
Patients have been known to tell the phlebotomist
they will not allow them to draw their blood.
If a phlebotomist does not respect this wish they
can be charged with battery.
Battery is intentionally touching another person
without the permission to do so.
If a patient refuses, the phlebotomist must be
ready to discuss this with the patient and their
doctor.
PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY
& HIPAA

In 1996, the Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act was put into place.
This act was put in place to protect patient
information and their privacy.
This law states that health care workers
must get written consent from a patient in
order to use or give out any patient
information.
HIPAA violations carry a steep fine.
PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY
Rules of patient confidentiality protect the patient
and the members of the health care field.
Providers must keep all patient information private
and use it only on a need-to-know basis.
If a health care provider is not directly working
with the patient, they do not need to know
anything about that patient.
Phlebotomists may have access to patient records
including the patients diagnosis, proposed
treatment plan, personal history, and billing
information.
All of the access listed above must be held as
confidential.
PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY

A phlebotomist must not discuss patient
information in the halls, elevators,
cafeterias, and any other public place.
The discussing of any patient must hide the
true identity of the patient.
Think of it this way
Would you like people in the halls or in the
school cafeteria hearing about your personal
business?
Now that you know
After reviewing the necessary qualities and
characteristics of a phlebotomist, create a
graphic organizer of your choice which
shows the qualities/characteristics you think
are most important! Be able to explain why.