For a medical assistant or phlebotomist, working at a hospital is unlike any other setting. Phlebotomists and clinical medical assistants (CMAs) who want to work in hospitals must be able to deal with fast-paced workplace environments, and that means hiring managers seek employees with a unique skill set.
What, specifically, do hiring managers look for at hospitals? These three qualities are a good place to start:
- Adaptability
- Job-ready abilities
- Excellent communication
The reality is, candidates who demonstrate all three are significantly more likely to get hired.
Hospitals value skilled medical assistants and phlebotomists.
There’s always demand for both CMAs and phlebotomists at places like Texas Health Fort Worth, Cook Children’s Medical Center, or other hospitals.
In fact, 36% of all phlebotomists work at such institutions. For medical assistants, that figure is 17%.
Just because there’s demand, that doesn’t mean they’ll take anyone.
You need to show off your skills as a CMA or phlebotomist during the application process.
Fortunately, training programs like those offered at NTX Training Institute are a fantastic start, giving you hands-on training and practical skills.
First, let’s look at what makes hospital work unique.
A hospital environment is a whirlwind. No two days are the same. Urgent admissions can shift your priorities in an instant.
You won’t work a typical 9–5.
Hospitals never close, and that means that, unlike doctors’ offices or labs, the work tends to be in 12-hour shifts, with much of it taking place overnight and during weekends and holidays. On the plus side, you’ll only work three or four days a week instead of five.
Patients are often in crisis.
You’ll be working with individuals when they’re at their lowest, whether that’s because they’re in tremendous pain or the loved one of someone who is. Helping patients in difficult situations is challenging but also uniquely rewarding. Job satisfaction is high for CMAs and phlebotomists.
1. If you work at a hospital, you must be adaptable.
Above all, hiring managers look for people who can thrive in an unpredictable environment. The technical skills matter (as I’ll dive into in a moment), but you need to show that you can stay calm under pressure and be someone your coworkers can rely on in a time of crisis.
2. You need to show the hiring manager you have the necessary skills.
Hospitals hiring phlebotomists want someone who has the skill set to step right into the role, whether that’s as an MA or phlebotomist.
That means clinical proficiency.
Medical assistants need to be able to perform a range of tasks, including taking patients’ vitals, performing intake, and administering medications. For phlebotomists, the focus here is on expertise with the major blood collection techniques, including straight needle venipuncture, butterfly, and capillary draws.
But also administrative.
MAs keep hospital offices running. You’ll need to show the hiring manager you can greet patients, perform scheduling, and handle insurance. Phlebotomists should be able to maintain records and track specimens.
Certification matters, too.
It’s not enough to have the skills; you need the certification to back it up. For medical assistants, the best national certification is CMA. For phlebotomists, it’s NHA.
At NTX, we give you the training to pass your certification exams and schedule it for the last day of class.
3. Effective communication is a must.
Hospitals are high-stakes and high-stress. That means hiring managers need someone who can effectively explain what they’re doing to patients and other hospital staff.
Quality communication, whether that’s reassuring someone during a blood draw or performing an effective handoff to a coworker, keeps the hospital functioning.
Use the STAR Method to show hiring managers you’ve got what it takes.
It’s not enough to say the right buzzwords during your interview. You need to get specific with examples about how you’re adaptable, skilled, and a good communicator.
The STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) Method is a great way to demonstrate your abilities. Basically, you take a situation that occurred at a past job or internship and turn it into a story that highlights the work you did.
- Start by taking a moment to explain the scenario so the interviewer has context.
- Explain the task or challenge that you needed to complete.
- Go into detail about the actions you took to solve the problem.
- Finally, explain the positive outcome your actions brought about.
Here’s an example of the STAR Method for a phlebotomist.
The interviewer asks: “Tell me about a time when your workload became overwhelming.”
You then answer: “During my skill laboratory at NTX, I practiced many venipunctures and capillary sticks on other students. (Situation). On one busy afternoon, delays from another station meant that I had a tight deadline to finish my tasks in time. (Task). I worked efficiently, maintained safety protocols, and communicated with a classmate, completing my required draws (Action). In doing so, I finished my requirements without sacrificing quality or safe draws (Result).”
Take the script above, make it your own, and feel free to ask staff for specifics regarding which hospitals hiring phlebotomists are a good bet in Denton and surrounding areas. Never underestimate the power of networking in healthcare careers.
Prepare for your first hospital role at NTX Training Institute.
To start your hospital career as a phlebotomy tech or medical assistant, contact us today.
