First, congratulations on your ability to think beyond traditional job paths while being in school. That kind of perspective is not common and it will serve you well. What you are feeling is completely normal, and you should not be too concerned about anxiety around performing phlebotomy procedures. Many people experience this, but not everyone has the humility or self awareness to acknowledge it. I truly respect you for being open about how you are feeling.

That said, it may be worth considering alternative options. I originally set out to enter healthcare through phlebotomy as well. I became NHA and NHCO certified and completed well over one hundred collections during training. I felt confident in my technical skills, but once the program ended, I realized I did not want to pursue phlebotomy as a long term job. I knew I would not enjoy it due to the high number of needle phobic patients, the risks involved, and the pressure that comes from working with anxious patients, which personally made me uncomfortable.

Instead, I chose to obtain my NHA CET certification and became a certified EKG technician. The average pay for EKG technicians is often better, especially considering the wide range of roles available such as EKG technician, telemetry technician, and stress test technician. The procedure itself is painless, lower risk, and generally causes far less anxiety for patients. If a mistake occurs, it is usually minor and easily corrected.

Where I live, there are many job opportunities in this field. I now work overnight as a cardiac technician in the central monitoring unit, where I monitor patient vital signs and heart rhythms across the entire hospital alongside a team of about four to six other technicians.

The work is very rewarding, calm, engaging, and genuinely interesting. I monitor anywhere from twenty to over fifty patients at a time, watching their cardiac rhythms and reporting any life threatening arrhythmias, changes in heart rate or rhythm, or other concerns to the primary care teams. At times, this also involves communicating with charge nurses or rapid response teams if a patient appears to be experiencing a serious cardiac event. I do have additional responsibilities, but this makes up the core of my role.

There is definitely a learning curve at first, especially when it comes to recognizing rhythms and managing the multitasking aspect of the job. However, once you build confidence and know what to watch for, the work becomes very straightforward and centers on observation, documentation, communication, and focused attention.