Phlebotomy, like most healthcare fields, carries a high level of stress. You must constantly deal with patients who are stressed because they are sick, because they are afraid of needles, or because they are distrustful of medical personnel.
The stress of constantly making sure that you follow safety protocols to protect yourself from blood borne pathogens and knowing that one mistake could cost you your health, and possibly your life, can be debilitating emotionally if not handled properly.
Certified Phlebotomists as a whole work in areas where they are constantly moving from one task to the next. You may be dealing with an uncooperative patient that needs more of your time when you get another order for stat (emergency) blood draws across the hall or across the building.
You will be dealing with grumpy and uncooperative patients, grumpy nurses, and grumpy doctors on a regular basis. If you are new to the health care field you might expect that your coworkers will be professional, warm, and friendly. And many will, but some days it will seem like everyone is having a bad day.
Recognizing Stress
How you learn to cope with the high level of stress in health care can make a world of difference in your attitude, job security, mental wellbeing, and even your health. Uncontrolled job stress will spill over onto your family and all aspects of your personal life.
Everyone deals with stress in different ways, and things that really bother one person may not affect another at all. Many don’t think they are under stress, they just think they haven’t been feeling well. Some symptoms of stress are:
- Sleep disturbances
- Fatigue
- Forgetfulness
- Irritability
- Depression
- Aches and pains
- Headache
Being overcome by stress can also cause you to make mistakes, something you cannot afford as a phlebotomist.
Coping with Job Stress
One general consensus is that you should leave your job at work; in other words, don’t take it home with you. This is great in theory, but almost impossible to do – especially in healthcare.
It has been reported that one of the simplest stress relievers is also the best. Laughter. Though it may be inappropriate on the job, make sure there are plenty of opportunities to laugh at home, with your family or friends. Avoid conversation about your job after work. Concentrate on lifting your mood. Watch a funny movie, challenge your friends to tell about something funny that happened to them, or go to a comedy club. Find a reason to laugh every day.
Another way to deal with stress is to keep a notebook of stressors or situations that cause the stress, and actively look for a solution. For example, if an order for a certain type of blood draw gives you an instant headache that’s a stressor that you can do something about. Ask for more education or assistance from a coworker with more expertise in that particular procedure. A few tips and some practice can increase your confidence and decrease your stress.
Recognizing the need for dealing with stress in a therapeutic manner can head off depression and the need for long term medication. It can even save your career as a Certified Phlebotomist.
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I enjoyed this article a lot. I am a phlebotomy supervisor and I know for sure now that this job is stressful eveywhere and not only at AUBMC (Lebanon).
I actually realized a long time ago that laughter and friendly colleagues make the job much easier to bear and handle. I will share this article with our phlebotomists
Thank you