Q: What's a typical workday like for you?
All In A Day's Work: Phlebotomist
Diane Merrill, a phlebotomist for more than 40 years, talks about her work with HealthEast Medical Laboratory. She discusses why she became a phlebotomist, what a typical workday is like, and how her role fits into the bigger healthcare picture.
By Nancy Crotti, Star Tribune Sales and Marketing
June 27, 2008 at 1:46PM
A: I start at 4 a.m. in the lab, pick up my workload and morning supplies. I go to many nursing homes and assisted-living facilities every week to draw blood from residents for testing. I return to the lab mid-morning, drop off the blood samples and do another round of visits. We have contracts with more than 180 facilities in the Twin Cities.
Q: How does your role fit into the bigger healthcare picture?
A: Instead of having to take someone from their nursing home or from the assisted-living facility to the doctor's office for a blood draw, we provide that service by coming to them.
Q: Who do you interact with during the course of the day?
A: I interact with other phlebotomists, a supervisor, residents of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, nurses, nurse's aides and occasionally a nurse practitioner.
Q: Why did you become a phlebotomist?
A: I started as a nurse's aide at Midway Hospital right out of high school. The woman who was in charge of the nurse's aides asked if I was interested in drawing blood for the lab. This was way before there was school for phlebotomists. I worked at Midway for 29 years until it closed. I was doing on-call weekend work for St. Joseph's, so it was a natural flow for me to got to the outreach program.
Q: What do you like about your work?
A: I truly love what I do because I love interacting with the patients. There are some I see a couple of times a week, and they're so personable. I come in and they're waving to me. I really feel a connection with many of them.
