More than a poke: Merging empathy with expertise
Having blood drawn can be nerve-wracking for some patients. Anxiety around needles is real, not to mention any wooziness at the sight of blood. For beginning phlebotomists, there can be a parallel stress on the other side of the needle. OneWorld Phlebotomist Jessica “Jessy” Gonzalez remembers her nervousness early in her career, when she learned to take blood from newborns to check their bilirubin levels. The procedure required a specific technique to hold the tiny foot while doing a heel stick. Having a child herself, she worried about hurting the baby.
“It was difficult for me at first,” Gonzalez said. “At first, you’re like, ‘I feel so bad. It’s a baby, they’re crying.’ But when it’s for their own good, for them to be healthy, then yes. Absolutely.” That drive to care for her patients – no matter how big or small – along with time and practice have led to a growing sense of confidence for Gonzalez. Six years since her first days at OneWorld, she is now sharing her expertise as a preceptor by training incoming lab staff and phlebotomists. Even though Gonzalez said she’s still learning, she said confidence and developing trust with patients is essential to a phlebotomist’s success. Just as she became adept at a procedure that once scared her, she sees trainees grow their own confidence from “zero to a hundred” over a course of days. OneWorld’s lab employees enter with a range of prior experience. If they aren’t already certified in phlebotomy, they must complete their certification within three months of employment. Along the way, they learn techniques, preparation, equipment and safety.
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EXCHANGE | ISSUE 3 2025
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