Olga Hice is a Phlebotomy instructor at PCC CLIMB. She has taught at CLIMB for five years, and finds both teaching and making a difference in others' lives extremely rewarding. Read more about Ms. Hice below.
Why do you teach?
There are not very many things in this world more rewarding than making a difference in someone’s life, improving healthcare industry and consequently positively reflecting on the quality of patient care.
What is your favorite part about being an instructor?
Learn developing trends in the industry. Discover new approaches to teaching. Better understand new generation of students and ever-changing healthcare requirements.
Tell us about a time that you were most proud in your role as an instructor.
Events like receiving a thank you note from the hospital about an outstanding work of my graduate or an email from the former student who excelled in phlebotomy services and was promoted make my day. However, by far the most proud feeling is coming from hearing how much my graduates enjoy working in phlebotomy services.
What kind of transformation do you see in your students during a course?
We have classes for students with different levels of knowledge and experience in phlebotomy. The transformation is always remarkable throughout all levels: someone without any previous experience in patient care draws blood confidently and skillfully after few classes, or someone with extensive phlebotomy experience realizes the benefit of the right technique in difficult draws.
How do you think the courses you teach affect students’ lives and/or careers?
The impact of learning phlebotomy skill is pronounced on many levels from the immediate improvement through new employment to building self-esteem and achieving new goals in both individual and professional aspects.
What is your favorite ah-ha moment you see during a course?
Teaching is a two-way road. I learn from my students while instructing in class. My approach to optimizing classroom time by implementing personalized learning is the result of many ah-ha moments.
What skills are needed in order for someone to achieve success in this field?
Commitment to quality, reliability in performing your duties, your passion for servicing patients and the ultimate need for self-improvement are probably the most important points.
What do you think students struggle the most with in this course?
Being scared of failure. The learning strategy is based on classroom time optimization through an individualized approach that allows each student to learn at their pace.
If you could give one piece of advice to all your future students, what would it be?
There is no successful learning without the goal and the dream you want to pursue.
How do you keep yourself knowledgeable and up to date on trends and industry standards in order to deliver the best quality of education?
Continuous professional education through multiple specialty organizations like ASCP (American Society for Clinical Pathology), AMA (American Medical Association), ACC (American College of Cardiology) and many other professional publications as well as working with the leading hospitals and hospital systems.
What is one major misconception you see about this field?
Perception of phlebotomy as an easy on-job training skill is gradually fazing out of medical practices. Our students are the best advocates in continued improvements of phlebotomy services in healthcare industries.
What do you think is important for future students to know about CLIMB?
The history of continuous success in preparing healthcare professionals and our commitment to all and each individual student.
What do you think your students value most about CLIMB?
Guaranteed quality of education, [CLIMB is] a well organized process from the registration to the completion of study, and help and counseling are available at any time.
What else do you think is important for future students to know about you?
We work as a team, we study hard and endlessly practice to obtain proficiency, we take our classes seriously, and we love to learn.
What do you do for fun?
Travel, family time.
