What kind of job can a CNA with phlebotomy certification expect to find?

[CNA1991, CNA]

I have a friend who is interested in the health care field and hopes to become a phlebotomist but, I heard that if someone is only certified in phlebotomy alone they will not be able to find a job so I was thinking of suggesting CNA/Phlebotomy to him because CNA jobs are so much easier to find. The problem is, my friend does not want to get their hands dirty (They would hate working at a nursing home) and wants to work exclusively with blood and more of the lab-related tasks. If a CNA with phlebotomy certification enters the work force, what can they expect from the job? Also, I am a CNA myself and I am thinking that after I obtain more experience, I should get phlebotomy certification as well so that I could internship in the hopsital near by and hopefully get a job there; will my odds of getting a position increase greatly if I have phlebotomy certification on my resume as well? Thanks:nurse:

[yousoldtheworld]

If your friend does not want to do any CNA work, there is no point in getting a CNA certification. Hospitals that hire aides with phlebotomy typically expect them to do both tasks - work as an aide on the floor, but drawing blood when needed. If he doesn't want to get his "hands dirty", he should apply only at labs or possibly blood/plasma donation centers. I'm not sure what qualifications you need to work there, but he could look into it.

As for what an aide with phlebotomy training can expect, that depends greatly on your area. Around here, aides aren't widely used for blood draws except in some hospitals, so it wouldn't matter much. I've heard that some hospitals require aides to get phlebotomy training to work on most units. It just varies widely by area. Either way, if you're an aide, the training can't hurt.

[MissJulie]

I think it depends on your area... In my neck fo the woods, you can only work as one or the other, in other words, under one certification at a time.

I think the idea behind this is that CNAs can't draw blood (here) and therefore if one did while working as a CNA, they would be outside of "scope of practice;" while, phlebotomists don't assist patients with ambulation, do bed baths, etc., so if they did so while working as one, it would be outside of the the "scope of practice."

If he truly wants to work with labs, etc. may I suggest a lab technician job where he would collect specimens then perform basic tests on the specimen, which would be best in the hospital setting.

[northernguy]

If your friend is worried about getting their hands dirty as a CNA, just tell them thats what gloves are for.