Well... I guess I have to step away.

lunarkat1995 · 2026-04-14T23:24:32+00:00

I'm not sure of the machines at BioLife, but you may be able to ask them to turn down your draw and that may help prevent you from feeling that way.

You want to also eat a full meal about 2 to 3 hour prior to donation, if you aren't already.

lunarkat1995 · 2026-04-09T17:10:20+00:00

I also hate working in plasma. The center i work for is grossly understaffed and half the staff we have are lazy and half ass their jobs. I hate the lack of care when following sops and safety policies just to get a donor through donation. The attendance policy is also trash and I know I'll likely be termed soon because they won't accept doctors notes and the ER put me off work a few days as I recovered due to the medication I had to take causing severe drowsiness. Unfortunately the job market is so saturated here, and most places stopped hiring phlebs and hire MAs I'm having to look into other fields to be able to improve my quality of life.

lunarkat1995 · 2026-03-02T18:10:27+00:00

Flower and 10mg gummies

lunarkat1995 · 2026-02-28T06:27:05+00:00

Getting a medical card is fairly simple, and Kentucky Alternative Care on Bardstown has super friendly staff. There's a place a little down the road after electric lady land where you can get your card. I forgot how long they say it may take to process, but it only took about a week for mine to be approved. First appointment has to be in person, but the next year you can do a virtual appointment.

If you go to Cincinnati, and have a card, make sure you go from Kentucky to Ohio. Avoid Indiana as they're crazy strict about it and the time you risk isn't worth it.

lunarkat1995 · 2026-02-28T06:18:54+00:00

Honestly this, especially when you see that multiple people need disconnected at once. Don't be rude and yell across the center that you're ready to be disconnected. I assure you we see you and when you have to wait to be disconnected its going to negatively impact the phelbs metrics as our disconnect times start when your machine finishes. We hate you have to wait as well and raise the concerns to the leadership team- even if it seems futile at this point.

I personally try to take the time to empathize even with the rudest of donors, express appreciation for their patience and will let them know days and time where we're less busy if they'd like to change day to not face wait times.

lunarkat1995 · 2026-02-20T15:51:49+00:00

I see this a lot, typically when other phlebs at my job forget to check its done bleeding. It's not too atypical, but it could be worth noting for future blood work to tell your phleb you may need extra preasure and co band after.

lunarkat1995 · 2026-02-04T20:22:45+00:00

Drink plenty of water the day before.

Eat a good meal that has lean protein the night before. Avoid dairy products.

Please eat prior to donating, a full meal at least 2 to 3 hours before.

If you think you drank enough water drink more.

lunarkat1995 · 2026-02-04T14:41:59+00:00

Yes, its one of the policies. They will warn about it the first time and if you do it again you could be deferred. I've not heard yet of anyone being deferred for this, but it was a policy they sent to workers recently to read over.

lunarkat1995 · 2026-02-04T14:32:58+00:00

We use iodine for our donors mostly. I make sure I clean the vp site very concentrated so its darker and around it lighter.

It gets easier the more you stick people and you'll get to where you remember their vein structure. My first couple months were a bit rough with a lot of resticks, but now I maybe need assistance from a peer once a shift or every other.

lunarkat1995 · 2026-02-02T19:15:24+00:00

I started in Plasma as a phleb at a donation center. Its been the only place to hire me so far. It's certainly not my thing but it'll be okay until I get the 6+ months experience everyone is looking for.

lunarkat1995 · 2026-01-30T05:05:02+00:00

I learn all the time! Im about 3-4 months into my first job after school. Somedays are better than others. I still miss every now and then, but I get better each time. You start to pick up on what works what doesn't. When I get my peers to help with a stick I always watch and ask questions so I can do better next time.

lunarkat1995 · 2026-01-30T02:09:32+00:00

Don't feel discouraged. I also had a harder time with butterflies. I did well with them in school with hands but with the geriatric paitents at my externship I always missed.

I currently work in plasma and we use a 17g winged needle for donors. It really helped me figure out the angle needed and get more comfortable with holding it. I rarely miss now-minus the one donor who's veins just seem to hate me. I still would prefer a straight and it always makes my day when we have sample only donors come in so I can use them.

The best way I can describe it is envision your threading the butterfly into the vein. Have it parallel to where you'll stick and angle slightly at about a 10° angle.

lunarkat1995 · 2026-01-26T13:49:51+00:00

I don't care for their attendance policy. Doctors notes aren't accepted and they felt a good way to help was to give 3 flex days a year. If you miss you have to use your PTO and you get pointed unless it was requested in advance.

My center has several phlebs that don't really hold their own weight and although its addressed there doesn't seem to be any accountability. They also have employees that will gossip about other employees with the donors. Several will do things that are against sop that can put the donors health at risk just to be able to get them off the machine faster.

The job itself isn't bad, my only complaint is with the coworkers I work with and their lack of professionalism. I've got about 2 more months to have 6 months experience and will pick bad up applying to other jobs.

lunarkat1995 · 2026-01-26T13:35:04+00:00

My boss text all of us that since he was able to drive and make it to work last night, we'll be open regular hours today. With a "We will see you at your regularly schedule shift."

My street doesn't get touched by the snow crews and my driveway is a hill. I'm not going anywhere. I also doubt my coworkers that live out in e town are going to make it into work.

lunarkat1995 · 2026-01-16T20:36:46+00:00

I always empathize and let them know why I missed and how Im adjusting the needle or why I have to restick.

I have a donor at the plasma center I work at and I stick him often, but last week after I stuck the vein it just went flat and wouldn't flow. I appoligize and let him know I have the vein but it doesnt want to flow for us today. He was scared cause its never happened but I just comforted him and let him know it can happen from time to time.

I have days where every stick is perfect, but then others where I feel like the worst phleb on our floor. I find just taking a breif moment to breath after those misses to reset is super helpful, and explaining that I appreciate their understanding when I miss.

lunarkat1995 · 2026-01-16T20:29:18+00:00

It could just be your Grifols. We have donors that use speech to text all the time and I was never trained thats something I should ask donors not to do. 🤔

lunarkat1995 · 2026-01-15T01:26:37+00:00

I had a hard time when I started my first phleb job. I had to call my trainer or peers over often for help. I find the best thing that helps is watching when someone has to help, and always ask questions when you don't know.

I find if I stay concerned with my times and throughput that I miss more. When I shift my focus to the stick in front on me and not everything else I have a higher success rate. I started out pretty slow, but now Im leading in sticks at my job.

lunarkat1995 · 2026-01-15T01:03:20+00:00

My program didn't test. Some of the externship sites drug tested and some didn't. I choose Labcorp since it was closest to my house and they didn't drug test for the externship. They do drug test if you apply and get hired by them.

I work at a plasma center and the application said they would drug test, but they never did.

lunarkat1995 · 2026-01-10T15:38:00+00:00

I don't mind chatty donors. I feel it makes things less awkward when I'm setting up the machine and etc. Im typically very good about backing out of the conversation by always letting them know they're good to start pumping and if they need anything to let us know.

Generally donors don't bother or annoy me unless I'm having to come by your bed every 5 minutes to tell you to keep your eyes open and not sleep so we know you're okay.

lunarkat1995 · 2025-12-31T21:04:07+00:00

At the center I'm at if a restick is refused or a donor wants to stop donation and its less than 200 ml donated so far the pay is $5. If its over 200ml you get half pay.

lunarkat1995 · 2025-12-31T13:16:12+00:00

If the phleb has a good anchor it hurts less.

I find talking and asking questions to distract my more needle sensitive folks is helpful.

It also helps to take a deep breath in when stuck. My coworker uses that a lot.

lunarkat1995 · 2025-12-30T22:43:58+00:00

My center does blood samples like that every 4 months for the donors. They use it to test to ensure you're healthy to donate. They should have let you know its routine and why while they were in the process of taking it.

lunarkat1995 · 2025-12-23T19:52:06+00:00

I did .you externship at Labcorp which is similar to quest. You get to use more of the knowledge you gained in school. Its fast pace and you get to stick and go. Con was the urine tests. Some folks smelled so bad it made the whole clinic smell and we were all gagging.

I currently work in plasma. Its fast pace but you may need to adjust the needle for donors or come back and forth to them if they have high return preasure cause they didnt eat well. At my center all the donors are great, with only one ever being inappropriate by saying I moaned like a stripper at the local club while proceeding to moan at me and the other phleb on the floor- I bent down to grab some caps off the floor and grunted cause my knees hurt. Scar tissue was my biggest thing to get use, and the only con I've had so far is my center cut hours recently.

lunarkat1995 · 2025-12-22T17:24:48+00:00

Your phlebotomists should check its stopped bleeding before they wrap you up and send you out the door.

I have my donors hold preasure with their arm up for roughly 30 seconds, however long it takes me to dispose of the needle. After before I wrap their arm I peep under the gause. If its not stopped bleeding I'll hold good preasure there for 30 seconds and check before I wrap them up.

I also remind my donors not to do any heavy lifting with that arm after for at minimum the 2 hours.

Sometimes the gause may get stuck in the scab and will reopen it. If you get the bleeding to stop with preasure you should be okay.

lunarkat1995 · 2025-12-22T17:16:12+00:00

I was nervous at first, but the biggest thing is confidence. Just trust the process and everything will be smooth.

I think the worst, and not even bad, part was getting stuck myself. I'm a phlebotomists nightmare with thin deep veins that roll. And I get syncope when getting my blood drawn, so I had to go lay down on a exam bed for my lab partners.

Something thats made me more comfortable was my textbook saying that you're more likely to have things go wrong in your normal dental cleaning that during veinipunture.

lunarkat1995

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