A professional who draws blood from patients or donors in hospital, blood bank, or similar facility for analysis or other medical purposes. Responsibilities include:

• Assembles equipment, such as tourniquet, needles, disposable containers for needles, blood collection devices, gauze, cotton, and alcohol on work tray, according to requirements for specified tests or procedures.
• Verifies or records identity of patient or donor and converses with patient or donor to allay fear of procedure.
• Applies tourniquet to arm, locates accessible vein, swabs puncture area with antiseptic, and inserts needle into vein to draw blood into collection tube or bag.
• Withdraws needle, applies treatment to puncture site, and labels and stores blood container for subsequent processing.
• May prick finger to draw blood.
• May conduct interviews, take vital signs, and draw and test blood samples to screen donors at blood bank.