Rachel has been a Phlebotomist for over three years. At the height of COVID, she worked in the fast food industry as a manager, and after nearly 15 years in this type of industry, she was ready for a change.
“Looking through courses at TAFE, Pathology Collector stood out to me as something I thought I would be good at, considering my previous experience in customer service roles. The TAFE course took less than 6 months, and I was hired within 2 months of finishing.”
Rachel hasn’t looked back and loves her job working in hospital collection.
“I love being able to go home after a long day and feel like I have made a difference in a patient’s care. Sometimes spending an extra couple of minutes chatting or helping a patient out makes a huge difference.”
Rachel joined the HSUWA in 2024 as she was concerned about a change in the supply of safety needles the company had introduced. She worked with other members to advocate for the company to put patient and staff safety first, and together they retained the use of the safety needle the company intended to remove.
Rachel knows that being active in her union leads to important change for her profession. Recently, Phlebotomists like Rachel have seen improvements, including pay increases under changes to the Health Professional and Support Services Award and increases under the collectively negotiated union Agreement. Rachel said, “Thanks to the union, we have received a massive pay increase this year.”
If you’re working in Private Pathology, join Members like Rachel to maintain safety and keep advocating for improvements across the industry.
