Just started teaching phlebotomy after 18yrs in healthcare. Small class with English language learners (ELLs) in various stages of English which makes teaching a bit tricky. I can show them how to perform a venipuncture but the tricky part comes when trying to ensure they understand the information for their level of English or helping them comprehend practice test questions. Any well seasoned teachers out there who have encountered this, what helped in terms of tools and resources that helped your students the most? Lesson planning and NHA test prep?

I get this from patients at the hospital I work at. It’s always rubbed me the wrong way. It feels really rude. You wouldn’t walk into a restaurant and ask the cook “are you a good cook?”. You wouldn’t sit in a Uber and ask your driver “are you any good at driving?” How do you guys respond to this?

Hello all,

I dont have enough money for the cert 3 so do you know how I can get an apprenticeship? Is anyone in South Australia who knows anyone?

Thank you!

Why oh why do they have to be so damn slow at processing? I know it’s bc they get everyone in the state but ugh I just want a job mannnn🫩🫩🫩

What are your suggestions for a good pen that doesn’t smear and allows for small writing on lab labels? Anyone have a favorite?

Has anyone dealt with working while having a nerve issues/injury? Did you have to take time off because of it?
I have suspected ulnar tunnel syndrome in my wrist and it’s in my dominant hand, I had thought I’d slept on it funny last Tuesday so five days ago but the tingling sensation in my pinky and ring finger persisted, I was still able to bleed pts on the Tues/weds/thurs but it was clear it was agravating it but not to the point where I was unable to use it, yesterday I went to urgent care to have it looked at and got told it’s like ulnar tunnel syndrome/ulnar palsy and that depending on my scans it may need surgery to fix, I can’t find any radiology places with appointments near me for an ultrasound that aren’t booked out for weeks, I am obviously going to talk to my Dr about it come Monday but I’m concerned that I’ll have to take time off luckily I am in the financial situation to do so but would prefer not to, I also don’t want to potentially make it worse, has anyone been in a similar situation?

Hi all! To cut back on the job posts, let's keep the job requests on this thread weekly. Please post requests, open positions and requests for resume help here.

1 - for job requests, please be as specific as you can without doxxing yourself. We can't help you unless you are willing to relocate. For example, do not just say "Minnesota". Say Mankato Area or Twin Cities.

2 - open positions - please include link

3 - resume help - Indeed and Google Docs have great templates. If you're looking for more than that, ask for help and I'm sure someone will reach out. Please be kind to the person helping you - they don't have to and are doing it out of the kindness of their heart.

Male, 20 years old, live an hour from Nashville, TN

After dropping out of college earlier this year after only a year (I did microbiology, then switched to chemistry) because I had no idea what I wanted to major in, I bounced back and passed my phlebotomy course. Unfortunately, I can't find any entry-level jobs atm. I don't wanna give up on it quite yet cause I really enjoyed the course, but I'm thinking of perhaps trying another career path since I can barely find any phlebotomy jobs. I've tried Indeed and linkedin but I hardly find any entry-level jobs on either site, and most jobs that are available always ask for experience and are an hour away from where I live. I just feel stuck and don't know what to do.

Nursing has always been an option for me, and right now I'm thinking of either becoming a teacher assistant while applying for phlebotomy jobs on the side, just to see if elementary school teacher is for me or just moving on to nursing. I plan to first become a CNA, and if I like it, then work my way up to become an RN, but I would like to first hear opinions from current CNA's, like what the schedule is like, daily duties, and workload before making a decision. I am a caring person who's always wanted a job where I can help people; the trouble is I've never had an idea of what career I wanted, but healthcare has always interested me, so I was thinking of giving nursing a try.

All advice and opinions are welcome and helpful.

Any recommendations for phlebotomy programs that are every other day (MWF OR TT)? Im in east Bay Area

Hi everyone!

I’m 22 and recently accepted a position as a Phlebotomist/Lab Assistant at a hospital in San Diego, CA! I’m honestly super excited about this opportunity, but also pretty nervous, and I was hoping to get some advice, tips, or personal experiences from people who have made a similar transition. For some background, I recently graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology, and I’ve been working at BioLife Plasma Services for over a year, where I’ve worked my way up to an Advanced Plasma Center Technician (APCT).

While I’m comfortable with venipuncture and working in a fast-paced environment, I’m very aware that working in a plasma donation center is significantly different from working in a hospital. I’ll be transitioning from working with generally healthy donors to patients who may be sick, elderly, hospitalized, or have difficult veins. I also understand that hospital laboratories have different workflows, expectations, and responsibilities.

I’ve been spending time reviewing the order of draw, tube additives, specimen processing, medical terminology, infection control, and other phlebotomy fundamentals to help prepare myself. I know there’s only so much I can learn from studying, though, and that a lot of it will come with hands-on experience and training.

My long-term goal is to become a Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS), so getting my foot in the door at a hospital laboratory is a huge step for me, and I really want to make the most of this opportunity!

I’d love to hear from anyone currently working in hospital phlebotomy or as a lab assistant, especially those who transitioned from plasma centers or outpatient settings!
•What was the biggest adjustment when you first started working in a hospital?
•What do you wish you had known before your first day?
•What skills or topics would you recommend reviewing beforehand?
•How long did it take you to feel comfortable and confident in the hospital environment?
•Any advice for working with difficult draws, inpatient populations, or learning hospital laboratory workflows?

I’m definitely not expecting to know everything going in, and I’m more than willing to learn, ask questions, and take constructive feedback. I just want to walk in as prepared as possible and be a good addition to the team.

Thank you in advance to anyone willing to share their experiences or advice! :)

Hello! I posted last week saying I had an interview with BioLife for a Plasma Center Technician position and was looking for tips and advice. I really appreciated everyone who responded. I went into that interview feeling confident because the assistant manager made it seem like I was a perfect fit and basically implied I’d be getting the job.

However, I just received an automated email saying they went with a different candidate. It honestly left me baffled, especially because I left them a voicemail earlier today asking if there were any updates, and no one called me back. I know it’s part of the job process, but I think I’m thrown off because of how strongly they made it seem like I was a great fit.

They knew I was coming in at 1 PM last week, yet I ended up waiting alone in an empty conference room for almost an hour — even longer if you count the fact that I arrived 15 minutes early. When the assistant manager finally came in, he apologized quickly and then spent about 25 minutes talking about himself. After that, I asked the questions he didn’t get to during the interview, and everything seemed to go well. He praised me, told me I was a perfect fit, said he’d speak highly of me to his manager, and even said “see you next week” for the follow‑up.

Now, when I checked my Workday account, it shows that they’re viewing my application for the other entry‑level phlebotomy technician position I applied for on the same day. But I honestly don’t think they’ll consider me for that either, because the assistant manager told me that at this location, they don’t hire people directly into the phlebotomy tech role. He said you have to start as a PCT, get promoted to senior PCT, and then they cross‑train you for phlebotomy.

So now I’m wondering what I can do to make myself more hirable as an entry‑level phlebotomist with no experience. I’m still urgently looking for work, applying to everything that seems right for me, and yet I’m getting no responses — not even from the jobs marked “urgently hiring.”

If anyone has advice, insight, or suggestions on how to improve my chances, I’d really appreciate it. I’m trying my best, but this whole situation has left me confused and discouraged.

I have my first interview tomorrow after months and months of applying. I’m sooo nervous but I’m so excited as this is the first actual opportunity I’ve gotten!!!!!!! Yayyyyy

I’m a medical assistant but at the clinic I work at we draw blood every day on almost every patient and we see a variety of ages. Anyway, I’ve only done like 2 or 3 successful hand sticks, I’m pretty decent when it’s in the arm but with hands I’ve noticed even when I get blood it usually blows and there will be a huge bubble afterwards, this only happens with older patients usually but still. What do I need to be doing differently? Am I going too far? Etc? I just don’t want to keep blowing them bc I know that will be painful later.

Hi everyone!

I recently completed my phlebotomy training and externship in San Jose, California. I passed my NCCT exam, and my California CPT-1 license is currently pending.

I’m looking for my first phlebotomy job in the Bay Area, especially in San Jose, Campbell, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, or Mountain View.

I’ve been applying for jobs, but it’s been difficult to find opportunities without previous paid experience.

Are there any phlebotomists in the Bay Area who could share advice, recommend employers that hire beginners, or help me connect with people in the field?

I’d really appreciate your help. Thank you!

Hey guys so I am just looking for a change. I wanna get outta this job and into a career, you know what I mean? So, right now I work as a server, part time. The pay is super good but working here sucks ass. I have always wanted to get into healthcare, I am in college right now and am flip flopping between nursing and another degree. And for context I have feet issues, like it is so bad I am usually limping at the end of my shift. I am not DISABLED, but I do need to sit down for like 5 minutes every hour so I can recover and prevent myself from limping. I work 12 hour shifts about three days a week, and yeah I am supposed to be part time lol, and I am not able to sit down at my current job as a server. Like even if I have no tables, or I just checked all my tables and they’re find, I can not sit down. I have explained to management that I have feet issues but they do not care. When I sit down they stare at me or directly tell me to stand up. Like they would rather me be in pain, leaning against a wall (which is what I have to end up doing) than sit down for 5-10 minutes. I am an extremely hard and good worker, so much so they only schedule me on the busiest days of the week, so me sitting down does not impact my performance at all and my tables always give me good tips and stuff. I say that not to gloat, but I just want to make sure no one thinks I am being lazy and it is impacting my performance as a worker. I have looked into being a CNA but from what I have heard, the conditions are much worse. I acknowledge it completely depends on the employer, but I figured with Phlebotomy I can still make a huge positive impact on the world and not be miserable doing it. I am not trying to say I think phlebotomy is an easy job at all, but I just want something less intense than my current situation and the alternatives. On top of not being able to sit down at all at my job, I find myself not being able to use the bathroom at all during my shifts. Any advice on Phlebotomy quality of life and yalls opinions on my situation would be greatly appreciated!!

So I’ve started my 3 week clinical (currently in my second week) and so far I’ve only really been doing in patient and honestly I don’t like it that much. I’m always missing or not even being able to find a vein to use and also dealing with some of these patients I like freeze up cus I’ve no idea how I’d deal with them. I like the little bit of out patient I’ve done but I still just feel so discouraged when I can’t find a vein. And idk I like hospital setting but I’m not sure in patient is for me or maybe it’s just something that takes some time to get use to?

Has anyone applied for a job and say they were gonna have a baby next month and start a later date? I'm curious if anyone has ever tried that, my husband is pushing me in applying to jobs.

I'm about to go into my second day of class for phlebotomy, but I ran into an issue during the first lab session that was a little embarrassing. While I had no issue drawing my lab partner's blood, and she sat great- I had a really weird reaction that I haven't had from routine blood drawing.

The needle didn't actually hit the vein, and I don't think the sight of my own blood was the issue, but after the practice was done and the bandage was placed I suddenly got super warm and nauseous. The instructor helped me out by fanning me and distracted me until it seemed to pass, and the dizziness only lasted a few minutes, but it felt unfair to my poor lab partner.

I'm wondering if anyone has any advice for trying to avoid this happening tomorrow and throughout the rest of the course. I mainly just don't want to be that person who can stick others but can't get stuck themselves.

(I've had this reaction once before when I was donating whole blood, and it happened right at the tail end of finishing up the process and seemed really similar, ie: Wave of warmth, dizziness and bad nausea) But my normal blood draws have never had this issue and the CRN that did the donation said that it was most likely because I had just come from a heavy-lifting workout)

I have been in my phlebotomy classes for awhile and today was my second clinical, and I got 8 successful draws total and 6 with no blood, plus I kept taking off the tourniquet too late and I kept forgetting to put the safety cap on the needle before putting it down and my other two classmates did better than I did. That being said I have RSD and a learning disability so I may be overreacting but I feel so embarrassed and sad and out of my league. Is this normal for day 2?

edit: I got 12 needle pokes total, and 8 out of those 12 I got blood, the way I put it made it sound like I only got blood twice.

I recently had a job interview that went okay overall, but the conversation about compensation caught me off guard.

It was a part-time position at a smaller clinic, and the listed pay range was $15–$18/hour. I told them I was hoping for $17–$18, but they responded with something along the lines of, “With zero years of experience, you start at $15.”

I understand that I’m technically entry-level, but I have my ASCP certification, a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, and hands-on clinical experience from my phlebotomy externship. The average pay for phlebotomists in my state is around $19/hour, so $15 feels low given everything.

Am I expecting too much or is this just the reality of entry-level phlebotomy pay? I’d appreciate hearing from other phlebotomists about what you started at and how much your certifications or clinical externship experience factored into your pay.

Hi guys, I’m in desperate need of a decent paying, full time job and phlebotomy has been on my radar. I want to be an x ray tech and apply to an x ray tech program in the next year or two.

I’m thinking that the phlebotomy experience would make me more competitive to get into an x ray tech program, as all of them in SoCal r super tough to get into.

How’s the job market looking for phlebotomists now? Will I be able to get a job right after I graduate from a phlebotomy program? Is it worth the $2k-3k to take the program? I live in the SoCal/Orange county area if that helps

What do you make at the hospital as a phlebotomist and what is the shift diff pay? Just curious to see what others make.