For my STEP Leadership Project, I completed a Phlebotomy training class to become a certified Phlebotomy Technician. It was  40 hours of in-class training which involved bookwork, hands-on training, and practical examination. 

     During my three weeks of class, I learned that I am a lot more willing to take more risks than I previously thought. I was so nervous to draw blood and on my first day of class, my teacher had us do our first “sticks” at the end of the day. I did not think I was capable of doing it as I had just learned how to only a few hours prior. However, I took the chance and got it nearly perfect on my first draw. I was incredibly nervous but it all worked out and I did great. I even let others draw my blood on the first day so that we could all learn from each other. 

     The relationship of our class led to the transformation I previously discussed. We got extremely close-knit in only three short weeks. We all thought it was crazy that we were going to be practicing on each other even though we had just met. However, towards the end of the class, we easily trusted each other and were all supporting each other during our practical exams and even just class. 

    My teacher was also another reason why I was more willing to take risks in this project. She made the learning environment super conductive and was very helpful to each of us. She believed in us from the very beginning and constantly rooted for us. She even let us practice on her many times. It was really nice to have someone to lean on for help and encourage me to take these risks and not be scared. 

     My first blood draws also led to my willingness to step outside of the box. As I previously stated, it was super nerve-wracking to do this without any experience. However, I eventually realized I had to take the risk and it ended up working out just fine. It might have been scary at first but eventually, I became a lot more comfortable and really enjoyed the class. 

     I believe this program was very beneficial to my life for many different reasons. It allowed me to gain a new skill that will significantly help me in my future career. I plan to be a nurse practitioner so knowing how to draw blood will be very helpful. I also plan to apply for a job working as a Phlebotomist and now that I am nationally certified I can do so. I also believe that being more confident and willing to take risks will help my future career plans. As a nurse practitioner, you need to know how to act on your feet and sometimes make fast decisions. This class helped me work towards making the changes and this will hopefully help me in the future.