Plasma Donation Essay -- Observational Essays

Plasma Donation Save a life, donate plasma! Plasma donation is a process many college students pursue in the efforts to make a sort of supplementary income while attending school. However, many other people in society do not know what all plasma donation entails. This essay will discuss the many aspects and details that the plasma donation process involves. These details include the donor’s waiting time and check-in, the donation process itself, and finally the finishing touches of the donation process. Plasma donation begins with the individual arriving at the Biolife Plasma Center. Upon arrival the person signs themselves in via clipboard or computer. Then after sign-in the individual is seated amongst many other potential donors awaiting their name to be called so they may advance in the donation cycle. Eventually, a nurse calls the individuals name, and directs them toward the front desk. Here they will be weighed on an electronic scale, and also at have their finger pricked with a small punch. This punch makes a small inci! sion in the index finger, that allows a sample of blood to be squeezed into a small straw-like tube. This blood sample is then taken to the small laboratory to be tested for efficiency, while the potential donor is taken to a small cubicle to answer a series of questions involving their immunization history. After the questioning session ends the individual is once again seated in the waiting area until their name is called over the intercom system. Pending normal test results on the blood sample, the donor will be summoned to the donor floor. Here the donation process will finally begin. The individual has now become a donor, for their test results have all come back and fallen within the normal rang... ...donor is able to collect their payment. The donor reports once again to the desk, where they are paid and have their left middle finger dabbed with a substance that will appear under ultraviolet light. This is done to ! prohibit the donor from going to another facility to give plasma. This is the official end of the donation experience. Whether it be helping others that need a blood transfusion, or a supplemental source of income, donating plasma is an extravagant process that takes more effort than the normal citizen realizes. Previously I have explained the entirety of the donation procedure, including the waiting room ordeal, the donating, and then the end stages of the process. This information was presented so that others curious about plasma donation can vicariously live the donation process, and get a feel for what really goes on in the Biolife Plasma Center.