Phlebotomy students begin live exercises

Phlebotomy Students

The Northeastern Technical College classroom seemed warmer and quieter than usual as concentration and trust builds among the students during the right of passage of phlebotomy – the live stick.

NETC Instructor Bridget Graham sat between Davis and Williams coaching them along the process. Before switching to the hot seat, Williams, who is recertifying, properly drew blood on the first try from Davis, who is new to the procedure.

"Right there. There is the vein. It's a good one. Can you feel it?" Graham asked Davis, who touched Williams' arm just below the crook of her arm. Graham asked her students why they can't search for a vein with their thumbs.

"Thumbs have a pulse," they said.

With butterfly syringe ready and coil properly gripped, Davis aimed the needle for Williams' vein; Williams took a breath.

Sept. 13 marked the midway point for the 7-and-a-half-week course with students moving from fake arms to the real thing in-class as well as scheduling clinicals to wrap up the course.

Williams, 39, is a medical assistant who enrolled in NETC's phlebotomy course needing to recertify in the field for her job; she is considering moving forward with the school's nursing program.

Some things have changed since the last time she was in a phlebotomy class a decade ago – there are less tubes, and the practice equipment has significantly changed, she said.

Before lunch, the phlebotomy students practiced sticking dummy arms that look eerily like the real thing with life-like skin with veins underneath connected to an IV bag of red liquid. When punctured, students can see the red dye fill medical capsules.

None of this existed ten years ago, she said.

"There were no dummy arms and no dye. This is very beneficial. The dummy arms are so lifelike," Williams said.

Davis, 47, is re-entering the work force after a few years off due to illness; she knew she couldn't return to manufacturing and wanted to try a new field.
Phlebotomy serves as an entry-level pathway to a nursing career, which Davis has considered.

"I'll and wait and see," she said.

First thing, first: finishing phlebotomy and sticking a live patient.

Davis moved the needle carefully. Not too high. Not too fast. Not too slow.

Williams exhaled.

Success.

Davis withdrew the vial and breathed easy.

The next section of phlebotomy classes begins Oct. 9 on the Dillon, Marlboro County, and Pageland campuses. For more information, visit online at www.netc.edu or call 800.921.7399.

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