Interview with a Phlebotomist

Yvette Coward is a phlebotomist and health screen technician at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, MA. In addition to her phlebotomist duties, Yvette also takes and records patients' vital signs, administers electrocardiograms and monitors blood pressure.

A graduate of Bryman College in 1982, Yvette earned her degree in medical assisting and in her longtime medical career has worked as a phlebotomist, medical assistant and medical office administrator. Still, she says, she's not done learning and wants to be even closer to the action. So she enrolled in a nursing program, and by this time next year she will be a registered nurse as well.

From Education to Employment

At Bryman College, Yvette first learned to draw blood. "We were shown how to use venipuncture and butterfly techniques at Bryman, practicing on a fake arm with a fake vein. Then one day, the teacher just rolled up her sleeve and said, 'take my blood.'"

After graduating, she worked in a private pediatrics office where she first started collecting blood samples. "During my interview, the doctor told me to take his blood right there in the office." She got the job.

"The very first patient I took blood from was a 14-year-old girl, and she passed out...I walked around very nervous the rest of the day," she recalled. Fifteen years later, this is all in a day's work.

Phlebotomy Techniques

Several years later, Yvette took the job at MIT where she uses phlebotomy in many different capacities. "We get a mixture of everyone at MIT – newborns, elderly, students." In addition to treating the general public, the MIT medical center also provides medical care to students and employees of the university.

On any given day, Yvette and the other health care technicians may see walk-in patients, set up 24-hour cardiac and blood pressure monitors, draw blood from new employees for TB tests, and create medical reports for new students.

The phlebotomy techniques she uses at MIT include:

Venipuncture - The most common method for drawing blood

Butterfly - Used on elderly and children with small veins

Fingerstick - For people with damaged or hard-to-find veins

Healstick or Capillary Puncture - For newborns with tiny veins

Therapeutic Phlebotomy - Reduces iron in the blood

Bleeding Time - To find out how long it takes for blood to clot

She also spins tubes in a centrifuge to separate the plasma from the serum, and plants micro specimens in petri dishes before they are sent to the lab.

The Most Difficult Patients to Phlebotomize

According to Yvette, "newborns have tiny veins that move around a lot." A special method called a healstick, also called a capillary puncture is used. It requires a small needle and a steady hand. Yvette says that "once you can draw newborns, you can draw anyone."

She also shares with good humor that doctors can sometimes be the worst patients because they think they need to tell you how to take their blood. "Take it from here, not from there. A little higher up. You're not in the vein." She laughs.

Truth be told, with 15 years phlebotomy experience, Yvette has probably taken more blood samples from patients than most doctors.

The Learning Continues

Yvette is constantly learning new things, both in school and on the job. From seminars on specific skills like EKGs to evening and online nursing courses, Yvette keeps her career interesting and challenging. "I like to keep my mind moving."

She's taken online, hybrid and evening courses for her nursing degree and is now ready to start her 1-year clinical practical where she'll get hands-on training. "I'm ready to get out from behind the scenes and start working more closely with patients."

Her story demonstrates just how dynamic a medical career can be. With a desire to help people in need, as well as a passion for learning, Yvette has been able to meet every new challenge head-on and be of service to employers and patients everywhere she goes. You may start off doing one thing, such as phlebotomy, but the more experience you gain, the more areas you'll get to work in.