Lesson 1

• Phlebotomy


  The practice of drawing blood from a patient or donor
• Phlebotomy


  • Performed to obtain blood for diagnostic purposes and to monitor prescribed treatment
  • Performed to remove blood for transfusions at a donor center
  • Performed to remove blood for therapeutic purposes, such as treatment for polycythemia
• Venipuncture


  Collecting blood by penetrating a vein with a needle and syringe or other collection apparatus
• Capillary puncture


  Collecting blood after puncturing the skin with a lancet
• Phlebotomist


  • Has good manual dexterity
  • Has special communication skills
  • Has good organizational skills
  • Has a thorough knowledge of laboratory specimen requirements and departmental policies
• Certification


  A voluntary process by which an agency grants recognition to an individual who has met certain prerequisites in a particular technical area
• Licensure


  The act of granting a license, which is an official document or permit granted by a state agency that gives legal permission for a person to work in a particular health profession
• Continuing Education


  Designed to update the knowledge or skills of participants and is generally geared to a learning activity or course of study for a specific group of health professionals, such as phlebotomists
• Organizations


  • American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
  • American Society for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (ASCLS)
  • American Medical Technologists (AMT)
  • International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET)
  • Philippine Society of Phlebotomists (PSPh)
• 10 contact hours equal one CEU, which is the most widely accepted CEU standard
• The Philippine Society of Phlebotomists (PSPh) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of quality
• Certification


  Indicates the completion of defined academic and training requirements and the attainment of a satisfactory score on an examination
• Licensure


  The act of granting a license
• License in healthcare


  An official document or permit granted by a state agency that gives legal permission for a person to work in a particular health profession
• Organizations


  • American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
  • American Society for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (ASCLS)
  • American Medical Technologists (AMT)
• International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET)


  • 10 contact hours equal one CEU
  • Most widely accepted CEU standard
• Philippine Society of Phlebotomists (PSPh) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of quality laboratory results through proper and correct specimen collection
• Maintain standard techniques for phlebotomy
• Blood, urine, stool is only collected by medtechs
• CSF Collection


  Collected through lumbar puncture to test whether a patient has a bacterial infection
• Meningitis


  Inflammation of meninges
• Mission of Philippine Society of Phlebotomists (PSPh)

  • To assure reliable laboratory results through proper phlebotomy technique
  • To promote the importance of proper handling of specimens such as blood and other body fluids
  • To give emphasis on Phlebotomy as a subspecialty of Clinical Laboratory Science
• Traits that form the professional image of a phlebotomist

  • Patient-client interaction
  • Professionalism
• Professionalism


  • The conduct and qualities that characterize a professional person
  • Conservative clothing, proper personal hygiene, and physical well-being contribute to a professional appearance
  • A phlebotomist is required to display attitudes, personal characteristics, and behaviors consistent with accepted standards of professional conduct
• Personal behaviors and characteristics that make up a professional image

  • Self-confidence
  • Integrity
  • Compassion
  • Self-motivation
  • Dependability
  • Ethical behavior
• Self-confidence


  Many factors affect being perceived as self-confident; for example, erect posture, professional appearance, courage, and tactfulness in communication
• Integrity


  • Has to do with a personal feeling of "wholeness" deriving from honesty and consistency of character
  • Professional standards of integrity or honesty require a person to do what is right regardless of the circumstances and in all situations and interactions
• Compassion


  Being sensitive to a person's needs and willing to offer reassurance in a caring and humane way
• Self-motivation


  • Is a direct reflection of a person's attitude toward life
  • Takes initiative to follow through on tasks, consistently strives to improve and correct behavior, and takes advantage of every learning opportunity that may come along
• Dependability


  • An individual who is dependable and takes personal responsibility for his or her actions is extremely refreshing in today's environment
  • You are dependable if you are independent
• Ethical behavior


  • There are policies designed to regulate what should or should not be done by those who work in the healthcare setting
  • The Hippocratic oath includes the phrase primum non nocere, which means "first do no harm"
  • Follow ethics
  • DNR - Do Not Resuscitate
• The primary objective in any healthcare professional's code of ethics must always be to safeguard the patient's welfare
• Communication


  • It is a skill. It is the ability to understand
  • The means by which information is exchanged or transmitted
  • Has three components: verbal skills, nonverbal skills, and the ability to listen
• Communication components


  • Verbal communication
  • Active listening
  • Nonverbal communication
• Verbal communication


  • The most obvious form of communication
  • Involves a sender (speaker), a receiver (listener), and feedback -> communication feedback loop
• Active listening


  • Effective communication requires that the listener participates
  • Is always a two-way process
  • Ordinary person can absorb verbal messages at about 500 to 600 words per minute, and the average speaking rate is only 125 to 150 words per minute
  • Is the foundation of good interpersonal communication
• Elements of nonverbal communication

  • Kinesics
  • Proxemics
  • Appearance
  • Touch
• Kinesics


  • The study of nonverbal communication
  • It includes characteristics of body motion and language such as facial expression, gestures, and eye contact
  • Body language is often conveyed unintentionally
  • Plays a major role in communication
  • If the verbal and nonverbal messages do not match, it is called a KINESIC SLIP
• Proxemics


  • The study of an individual's concept and use of space
  • Every individual is surrounded by an invisible "bubble" of personal territory in which he or she feels most comfortable
• Appearance


  • Appearance makes a statement
  • The right image portrays a trustworthy professional
  • Lab coats should completely cover the clothing underneath and should be clean and pressed
  • Shoes should be conservative and polished
  • Close attention should be paid to personal hygiene
  • Bathing and deodorant use should be a daily routine
  • Strong perfumes or colognes should be avoided
  • Hair and nails should be clean and natural-looking
  • Long hair must be pulled back and fingernails kept short for safety's sake
  • According to current CDC hand hygiene guidelines, healthcare workers with direct patient contact CANNOT wear artificial nails or extenders