The Blood Donation Process

When it’s time to donate, here’s what will happen: You’ll go into a donor room where you’ll lie down on a cot. A phlebotomist (an employee who draws blood) will clean your arm and insert a new, sterile needle into your vein. This takes just a few seconds, and it can feel like a quick pinch. You’ll donate about 1 pint (one unit) of blood. The process should take less than 10 minutes. But if you’re donating platelets, red cells, or plasma by apheresis, the process can take much longer: up to 2 hours. When you’re done, you’ll raise your donation arm and put a little bit of pressure on it, which helps your blood clot. Then they’ll put an adhesive strip on your arm.