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The Certificate of Proficiency in Phlebotomy will prepare students for entry-level positions as phlebotomists in healthcare facilities (e.g., hospitals, clinics, physician practices). Almost all employers look for phlebotomists who have earned professional certification. 

Phlebotomists typically do the following:

• Draw blood from patients and blood donors
• Talk with patients and donors to help them feel less nervous about having their blood drawn
• Verify a patient’s or donor’s identity to ensure proper labeling of the blood
• Label the drawn blood for testing or processing
• Enter patient information into a database
• Assemble and maintain medical instruments such as needles, test tubes, and blood vials
• Keep work areas clean and sanitary

Phlebotomists primarily draw blood, which is then used for different kinds of medical laboratory testing. In medical and diagnostic laboratories, patient interaction is sometimes only with the phlebotomist. Because all blood samples look the same, phlebotomists must carefully identify and label the sample they have drawn and enter it into a database. Some phlebotomists draw blood for other purposes, such as at blood drives where people donate blood. In order to avoid causing infection or other complications, phlebotomists must keep their work area and instruments clean and sanitary.