Health Care

Gabrielle Barefield,  Phlebotomy Instructor

I am the phlebotomy instructor at HAP OIC Plato building, I have 4 pets 3 dogs and a cat and 5 children ages 2,5,10,15,and 17.

I started my healthcare career in 2008-2009 as a certified nursing assistant thought the Hopkins High School PSEO program, my mom and grandmother were CNAs and I was soon going to have my first child, so I wanted to have something that I would make ok money in, not really knowing once your in it, YOUR IN IT. I worked as a nursing assistant for about 12 years, when I decided to apply for the nursing program, after I was accepted to the nursing program, continued to work as a CNA overnights and doubles on the weekend to be able to continue to be a parent and pay bills.

I graduated in December 2018 with an associate’s degree in health sciences and Licensed Practical Nursing diploma.

During and after graduation I started working with my new credentials as soon as I pass the NCLEX-PN that following summer 2019. in the beginning, I was somewhat,  disappointed working as a LPN in Geriatric care, because I had this idea in my head of what a nurse does at work, how it would be completely different than when I was a CAN and however I felt, the money I would earn would make me happy.

Regardless if I was not happy with the daily nurse job duties. It did not get any better for me mentally, so I switch the population I was caring for to Peds, and I applied to be a school nurse. I enjoyed it but did not think at the time what I was going to do when there was no work in the summer or did, I plan for COVID to close the schools. So, I started working in the clinic setting and fell in love with the fast pace but started to feel like the rooming process and vitals were very tedious work, when I was pulled aside and told I would be taught to do my patients labs for their provider. I was nervous and scared that as soon as I poke a person their heart would immediately stop, and I would be a murderer.

As soon as I poked my first patient outside of training, and the blood flowed into the test tube. I almost forgot I had the needle in the person’s arm I was so happy. After that I never wanted to do anything else, what made me happy. I currently work at North Memorial, MN’s #1 trauma hospital in the twin cities and I am one of their best phlebotomists on staff today. I still maintain my LPN licensing as I need to so I can keep that degree,  I have been doing phlebotomy for almost 6 years I got my phlebotomy experience eon the job and the managed at North Memorial Called the clinic looks for phlebotomists and offered to pay me my LPN wages to draw blood for her at North. It was an opportunity, I felt took into consideration my education, so it was not a waste of my time and finances,  and I get to do something I love, and draw blood all day. No vitals, no rooming. I said yes and I will be a North Memorial employee for 4 years in March 2025. Phlebotomy opened many other doors in my career I never knew were possible. I feel like unless you know a person in a certain field of work you will never really know what professions are available, before you spend years and a lot of money to a degree you might not even like. I fell into phlebotomy, and it was never a word I had heard before I was trained to do it. I could have saved myself a lot of time and money if someone told me when I was in my 20s.

I want to share with my students the passion I have for phlebotomy as a skill and as a profession, I want people to be more aware of the fact that, it is not just the nurses and doctors alone helping you heal and recover.  Patients  discharge, treatment, and diagnosis is dependent on the results of the blood, the phlebotomist draws from the patient.

These results  helps patients understand their illness and symptoms accurately, allows the patient to leave the hospital, and confirms if the patient will make it to their provide for a follow-up and decrease the likelihood of remittance and fines for the hospital.

Every morning, I go to work, I know my position is important and I am valued, in my job, company, and department. I am reminded of my value. Every time I go to a rapid response or code blue, I  know I am an extremely critical part of the healthcare team and a valued team member.