Phlebotomy is the specialized allied medical field that deals with the safe blood extraction from a live human body. Phlebotomy instructors are usually hired by training institutions and community colleges that specialize in vocational courses and are given assignments to teach and supervise all levels of vocational courses within the medical laboratory technology and phlebotomy curriculum. As instructors, they will be teaching theoretical concepts and supervising practical exercises of phlebotomy students.
In addition, phlebotomy instructors are expected to teach in the classroom as well as in the laboratory setting. Subject matters will range from purposes and theories in phlebotomy to procedure demonstrations and return-demonstrations on venipunctures, fingersticks and blood collection techniques. Furthermore, blood collection is also one of the crucial topics to tackle including blood tube handling, labeling, tracking and transportation of blood sample as well as preservation and also, specimen analysis procedure.
To become an instructor, you must have at least an experience in clinical laboratory science or its related field, be certified by a nationally recognized certifying board, at least 2-3 years clinical experience in Medical Technology and be computer literate. It is preferable, however, that phlebotomy instructors must have a Master’s Degree in Health Science as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology with at least a year of teaching experience. Some states, such as California, require instructors to be certified by a state recognized certifying organization according to the California Code of Regulations.
If you are interested to pursue a career in teaching, it will be wise to take note that phlebotomy instructors develop their own teaching materials, prepare their own activities and create their own handouts for every course. They also convey lectures and practical exams to students. For a successful career in teaching, you must understand the students’ academic demands as well as the diversity of the cultures, socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. Students have different learning styles, and utilize a variety of study skills too. It is equally important for the instructor to be keenly aware of the most common learning styles employed by your students so that you can properly deliver the topics in a way that the student will best perceive and remember these. As an instructor, you are expected to be a good mentor to the students by involving them in decision-making activities during practicum as well as exposing them to the various laboratory machineries and equipment. Once the students become familiar with the laboratory, they have to also be taught of the proper safety regulations in the laboratory to prevent health hazards from occurring.
Certain training institutions and organizations provide continuing education for phlebotomy instructors. This will help them maintain their professional certification, especially if they participate in seminars, workshops and other educational programs to improve in their chosen field. When participating, they have to undergo a process to be able to improve their quality of instruction. The usual annual salary of phlebotomy instructors range from $35,000 to $42,000 based on their varying work experience as well as educational status.