Blood and plasma are collected and distributed to those who require transfusions due to illness or injury. During surgery or after an accident, many people receive additional blood that is matched to their blood type and screened for safety. Blood banks can be run as a non-profit that collects blood from volunteers or as a for-profit business that pays people to donate blood so that it can be sold to hospitals in need. To work in blood bank management, you must first obtain regional certification, which allows you to work in the field. Many blood banks require you to have experience in some type of supervisory position before you are eligible for blood bank management. Once you are certified and have gained experience in the field, many blood banks require you to have experience in some type of supervisory position before you are eligible for blood bank management.
Blood bank management entails supervising blood bank employees as well as coordinating the office’s operations. People arrive at a blood bank to donate blood and wait in a waiting room for their turn. Blood banks usually have rooms with couches and medical equipment where donors can relax while their blood is collected. The blood is collected and stored safely until it is picked up a transportation truck and transported to a hospital or clinic where it will be stored or used further. Managers of blood banks may be in charge of overseeing the entire process, which may include coordinating pick-up and delivery in some cases.
You could be in charge of hiring and training employees in addition to managing the blood bank. Individuals who work at a blood bank must be certified as a medical technologist or lab technician in most areas. Nursing and phlebotomy certifications, for example, may be permitted. The general responsibility of blood bank management is to ensure that all employees have the necessary certifications and that safety and hygiene are observed at all times.
To work in blood bank management, you must first obtain one of the various types of certifications required in the industry. Local community colleges are usually able to provide certification. Many jobs require you to have years of experience as a medical technologist, preferably in a blood bank. Some blood banks are large-scale subsidiaries of national corporations, while others are small clinics. Working as an entry-level lab technician and working your way up to a supervisory position is one way to get into blood bank management.