An increasing demand for skilled healthcare professionals has led to a shortage of allied healthcare workers, especially phlebotomists – the skilled healthcare professionals who take your blood. Demand is at an all-time high with hospitals, clinics and GP Surgeries offering a golden opportunity for that “longed for” career change! If you have good people skills and manual dexterity, and like the idea of working in a busy healthcare environment, a phlebotomist job may be just the job for you!
Many people enter this profession when they are looking for a career change or a fresh start and they often have no previous qualifications or experience in healthcare. Phlebotomists can work part time (usually mornings) but also may choose to work full time as well as weekends, holidays and bank work. Blood samples are usually collected before mid-day and then analysed in your local hospital’s Path Lab in the afternoon.
“We train people from all walks of life and all ages” explains Amy, Geopace office manager. “We’ve had school leavers, shop assistants, receptionists, beauticians and dental nurses, as well as telesales staff, unemployed and the retired who are looking for a challenge. We also have referrals from JobCentres (DWP), who can sometimes pay for your course in full if you are eligible” says Amy.
Once you are on the healthcare career ladder there are often opportunities to progress into other areas, such as working in the hospital path lab or other departments. Promotion is much easier once you are “on the ladder” and have some experience behind you.
Many Geopace students are now working as phlebotomists throughout the UK and a few have even chosen to work abroad where there is often a similar shortage and growing demand for this specialised skill. An interesting booklet featuring student’s “Success Stories” is written by the student’s themselves and looks at how they have made the move from wide and varied backgrounds to find themselves now working as phlebotomists. A copy can be downloaded from the Geopace website’s testimonials page.
If you like the idea of a challenging career in healthcare and particularly in phlebotomy then this may be the perfect move for you! The comprehensive training course last a full two days and culminates in the award of a nationally recognised and accredited certificate. “We practice taking blood from artificial arms”, says Lauren “and everyone on our course has a lot of fun! We get a great deal of satisfaction later on when we hear from our students that they are working for their local GP surgery or in their local hospital.”
Upcoming courses are running in Lincoln, Leicester and Nottingham.
If you would like to know more about phlebotomy as a career or to book a place on the course visit Geopace Training’s website at www.geopace.net