For one to complete phlebotomy training, one is required to attend various classes. You may choose to take online or attend physical classes depending on your daily schedule. However, there are those classes that will demand the students to be physically present. The advantage with taking online phlebotomy training classes is that they are convenient for both part-time and full-time students.  You are able to take classes and tests wherever you may be at your convenient time. You will, however, be required to avail yourself at specific times when you are available.

Although phlebotomy classes may vary from state to state, below are phlebotomy classes and tests demanded by phlebotomy training.

Anatomy and Physiology – Phlebotomy training demands teaching on the different organ functions, how various organ systems functions, and how they create homeostasis in the body in optimum health. The class involves naming of body organs and their various parts, veins and arteries, bones, and the cellular structure. The students are also taught on using a microscope, different blood types, and how to recognize the different types of cells and bacteria.

Microbiology – In this class of phlebotomy training, the students learn on the structure and functions of various micro-organisms. The class also teaches viruses and bacteria that cause diseases. It also involves a practical part where you are taught on preparing slides, identifying of different cells and organisms, and how to record lab results.

Psychology and Human Interaction – Although phlebotomists spend a very short time with the patients, they should have a good attitude and bedside manner while attending to the patients. Psychology and Humans Interaction class teaches the students on how to attend to a stressed patient, and their family. During their career, phlebotomists come across different kinds of patients, and they should be trained on how to cater to all in a professional manner.

Phlebotomy and Lab Practicum – Unlike the other classes of phlebotomy training, this is more of a practical class. During these sessions, the students are taught on how to safely, and properly draw blood from veins, arteries and capillaries. The class also includes sterile fields, determining the best site to draw blood, when to use alcohol to prep the skin, needle inserting techniques and common mistakes that can affect the result of a blood test.

The student should physically attend this class so that they can be familiar with the various types of equipment, their use and how to use them.

Math for Health Sciences – The medical fields demand some calculation skills such as converting ml to drops (gtt), ounces to drams and other math operations. This phlebotomy training class ensures that the student has the required knowledge to do the calculations at ease.

Legal Aspects and Ethics – Just like any other career, phlebotomists have their medical ethics. During phlebotomy training, students are taught and examined on medical legal aspects and ethics. These aspects require special consideration as unethical acts can not only cause you to lose your license or job, but can also get you sued and jailed. One of the key areas taught in this class is the Patients’ Bill of Rights.

Unlike other jobs, phlebotomy demands a high level of skills and self composure in any emotional situation. Apart from your phlebotomy certification, you must meet the following requirements before applying phlebotomy jobs.

• A minimum age of 18 years
• Attained a GED or a high school diploma
• Holds a current Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certificate
• Must have done vacations recently including Hepatitis

When applying for this job, ensure that you convince the employer why you are the right person for the job. If you don’t have prior experience, get verification documents from your previous employer showing that you are skilled, and composed to handle any given stressful situation.

You will also need to send a good resume to the employer to stand out from the other applicants. Ensure you include any promotions, awards, or recognitions you may have attained to prove that you are a good problem solver and relates well with your clients and coworkers.

After sending your application form, be hopeful to be called for an interview. When attending an interview, ensure that you dress professionally, but don’t overdo it. Avoid a lot of perfume and jewelry; be composed, and confident while approaching your interviewer.

After deciding to pursue phlebotomy training, you will have to look for the best school. There are many available phlebotomy training schools; however, you should consider choosing the school that best suits your expectations. The internet is the best place to start your search as there are hundreds of phlebotomy related websites. The internet also provides you with sites that you can read comments and feedback from legitimate phlebotomists and phlebotomy students regarding various schools.

The most experienced problem by students is the lack of school fees to pursue phlebotomy training. However, you can pursue the course at low or even no cost. By searching in the internet, you can get schools offering sponsorship for qualified students. If school fees are a problem, you may seek support from a phlebotomist hospital or laboratory near you. Some of these laboratories offer you free training; however, you may be required to work for them once you complete your training.

The best phlebotomy schools, however, are those that have practicum and clinical training, and equipment. These schools will help you not only to pass the exams, but also gain some experience. Factors you may need to look at before deciding a particular phlebotomy training school are class schedules, the depth of their syllabus, and the number of blood draws, required for one to sit for their exam.

You may choose to take classes online if there are no phlebotomy training schools near your area. You will, however, be required to attend a clinic or hospital near you for the practical classes and tests.

Although you may attend any phlebotomy training school, one important factor you need to look at is the issuing certification organization. Different states will demand different phlebotomy certifications. It is, therefore, important that you first research on the certifications required in your area for you to be considered as a qualified phlebotomist.

NEED HELP FINDING A PHLEBOTOMY SCHOOL? CONTACT US AND WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO HELP YOU!

It is stipulated that the demand for qualified phlebotomists will increase in the near future. Due to this demand, their salary range will obviously rise. The advantage of being phlebotomist is that your salary wage is relatively equal; whether you are working in a hospital, laboratory or in a research institute.  The phlebotomist salary wage ranges from $13 to $20 per hour. However, the salary wage may differ depending on the following factors.

Geographical place of work – The average wage for the US phlebotomy ranges from $12.5 to $13 per hour totaling to about $27,000 per year. However, those working in states like New York, Alaska, Rhode Island, Maryland and Connecticut earn an average salary wage of $15-$16 per hours. The most paying state, however, is California, although they demand a license and a more than 8 months phlebotomy training program for you to get a job.

Your qualification – A certified phlebotomist earns more than a hospital-trained phlebotomist without a certification. The average salary wage of a non-certified phlebotomist is about $8-$10 per hour. You may, however, increase your salary wage and job opportunities by seeking a certification.

Experience – In most careers, your salary wage increases with an increase in your experience to that particular job. You can increase your phlebotomy salary wage by gaining more experience by attending to different patients, working on several states and attending phlebotomy seminars and workshops.

With all this information, you have no reason not to pursue phlebotomy as your career choice. Phlebotomy training assures you great job opportunities and a good salary wage in future. If you meet the requirements, start looking for a phlebotomy training school today. We also provide you with more information on phlebotomy school fees, exams guide and much more concerning phlebotomy training.

Phlebotomy is a medical practice of drawing or collecting blood from a patient for testing in a laboratory. The career, however, is new in the field of medicine compared to the other branches. Phlebotomy training is among the most marketable careers in the modern world of medicine. Many laboratories, research institutes and hospitals, are looking for phlebotomists at competitive salary wages.

Although the practice has been there for the last two decades, its popularity dates a few years back. This is mainly because of the advanced technology and training that has been invested in the practice. Patients can now undergo phlebotomy in a safe and sterile procedure.

However, for one to be a qualified phlebotomist, one is required to have passed through phlebotomy training. If you are searching for a new career or interested in enhancing your current career, phlebotomy training guarantees you job opportunities and good salary pay.

Venipuncture is the process of obtaining blood samples from veins for the purpose of laboratory testing.

The procedure is performed by phlebotomists, paramedics and medical laboratory scientists, to name a few.

Venipuncture is probably the most common procedure in the medical field; usually performed for either of the following reasons:

1. To obtain blood samples in order to perform diagnostics
2. To administer therapeutic treatments to patients
3. To collect blood for later use should the patient’s condition requires transfusions
4. To remove blood that was found with excessive levels of erythrocytes or iron
5. To monitor the levels of various blood components

Venipuncture Equipment

To perform venipuncture, a phlebotomist will need the following equipment:

Evacuated Collection Tubes: Tubes come in various sizes and are designed to fill with a fixed, predefined volume of blood by vacuum. Their rubber-made top is colored according to the additive contained in the tube. The colored top is meant to identify the uses of a particular tube. As a result, pouring blood from one tube to another is strictly forbidden.

Needles: Available for use with a syringe, a single draw or a butterfly system, needles come in various outer diameters. The metric used to describe the outer diameter of a needle is the gauge number. In principle, the larger the gauge number, the smaller the outer diameter of a needle. For a detailed needle gauge comparison, click here.

Note: A needle disposal unit is absolutely essential. After a needle has been used, it must be disposed immediately.

Gloves: Gloves play a major role in infection control. Every phlebotomist is required to wear gloves in order to protect both his patient and himself. Gloves are usually made of latex.

Phlebotomy Tube Holders: They are essential in preventing needlestick injuries during the disposal of sharps that follow a venipuncture procedure.

Tourniquet: Used to control venous circulation by applying pressure upon the skin in order to perform venipuncture. Tourniquets should be wiped off with alcohol prior to every use. It is also vital to replace it frequently.

70% Isopropyl Wipes and Providone – Iodine Wipes: The latter are being used when a blood sample collection is to take place.

Gauge Sponges: Applied in the selected venipuncture site after needle withdrawal.

Adhesive Bandages: Used to protect the venipuncture site after the blood draw.

Syringes: Used instead of the routine evacuated tube system if the patient has fragile and / or tiny veins that may not be able to withstand the vacuum pressure of evacuated tubes.

Biohazard Bag: To safely dispose equipment used in the procedure.

Venipuncture Procedure Overview

Venipuncture is a complex procedure. In order to perform venipuncture properly, phlebotomists need to be well-trained and skilled. Analyzed below are the essential steps required for a successful blood draw.

Step 1: Patient Identification

The phlebotomist greets, introduces himself to the patient and indicates the procedure to follow. Next, the phlebotomist identifies the patient and confirms his information by checking his / her armband or bracelet. Asking the patient for more information and cross referencing answers with the requisition form can further help the identification process. No blood must be drawn prior to completing the identification process. The same applies to the case of a missing armband or bracelet.

The phlebotomist is also responsible for assessing the patient’s physical status. That includes the patient’s stress levels, diet and exercise.

If there are doubts or matters to be further investigated regarding the process of patient identification, consulting with the site’s supervisor or a pathologist is mandatory.

Communication skills are priceless during both identification and the venipuncture procedure. Starting a conversation with the patient can take his mind of the procedure itself and relax him. A phlebotomist must familiarize himself with the Patient’s Bill of Rights as declared by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

Step 2: Requisition Form Check

The phlebotomist checks the requisition form for patient information, requested tests and any special requirements. Requisition forms must accompany drawn samples to the laboratory and are mandatory in order to process the specimen. Here’s a sample requisition form:

Step 3: Site and Vein Selection

At this stage, the phlebotomist selects a suitable site for the venipuncture procedure. The most frequent veins selected for venipuncture are the large, full median cubital and cephalic veins of the arm. However, the basilic vein on the dorsum of the arm is also used by phlebotomists. The dorsal hand veins are also acceptable.

In the unfortunate case the above sites can’t be used, foot veins are a phlebotomist’s last resort. It should be noted that foot veins are prone to complications and they should only be used for blood draw if everything else fails.

Sites suffering from hematoma, scars from burns and/or surgery should be avoided.

Check out the rest of the guide here.

A COMPLETE GUIDE FOR GETTING CERTIFIED AS A PHLEBOTOMIST IN THE UNITED STATES

Phlebotomists take blood samples and prepare them for laboratory analysis. They work in hospitals, blood banks, clinics, nursing homes, occupational medicine clinics, private physician practices and other healthcare facilities.

Phlebotomy certification is a good way to enhance your resume and make yourself more marketable in a very competitive job market.

We recommend the following three types of phlebotomy certifications. However, there are more accredited certification agencies; you may find a detailed table at the end of this article.

Types of Certification

The three major types of phlebotomy certification (all of which have different requirements and fees) are offered by:

• The American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians (ASPT)
• The National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
• The American Society for Clinical Pathology. (ASCP)

The ASPT offers the exam to experienced phlebotomists or phlebotomists who have completed an accredited educational program. NHA offers a phlebotomy certification to candidates who have graduated from high school or completed a general equivalency degree. Candidates must also have a minimum of one year of work experience or have graduated from an approved vocational education program.

ASCP requires candidates to meet at least one of the five sets of requirements for the exam. Applicants must have achieved the following before applying for phlebotomy certification:

• Graduation from high school or completion of a general equivalency degree AND completion of a phlebotomy training program approved by the California Department of Public Health or the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences within the past five years; OR
• Graduation from high school or completion of a general equivalency degree AND completion of a formal phlebotomy program in the United States of America. The program must consist of 100 clock hours of clinical training in an accredited laboratory and 40 clock hours of classroom lecture. The classroom portion of the program must cover circulatory system anatomy and function, specimen processing, specimen collection, specimen handling and laboratory operations. The clinical portion of the program must include at least 100 successful blood collections; OR
• Graduation from high school or completion of a general equivalency degree and at least one year of work experience in an accredited laboratory within the five years prior to applying for the exam. The work experience must include skin punctures and traditional venipunctures; OR
• Graduation from high school or completion of a general equivalency degree AND completion of an accredited allied health program that includes phlebotomy training and clinical work in an accredited laboratory. Examples of acceptable programs include registered nurse and licensed practical nurse. The candidate must perform a minimum of 100 successful venipunctures and skin punctures. You must also submit a notarized copy of current LPN or RN license OR a certificate of completion from the allied health training program;
• Certification as a Medical Laboratory Scientist, Medical Laboratory Technician or Donor Phlebotomy Technician. Candidates with DPT certifications must complete a minimum of 100 non-donor blood collections within the five years prior to applying for this phlebotomy certification.

Phlebotomy Certification Exam Registration

Applicants for the ASPT certification must complete an application form and submit the appropriate fee by the designated deadline. Each applicant must fill in his or her name, address, telephone number, employment information and Social Security number. The application also asks candidates to indicate if they are already nationally certified in phlebotomy. A supervisor must sign off on the application before it is mailed to the ASPT. The fee is $85, which includes $55 for the exam and $30 for membership in the society.

NHA does not accept paper applications, as the organization requires all applicants to submit their paperwork online. To register, you must visit the NHA Now website and create a candidate profile. When creating your profile, you must include your name, contact information, birth date and primary language. Once your profile is complete, you can register for the NHA phlebotomy certification exam. Select the radio button next to “CPT – Certified Phlebotomy Technician” and click “next” to advance to the next screen. The following screen lists the requirements for registration. You must read the entire list and then acknowledge that you meet all of the requirements. After agreeing to the terms of registration, NHA assigns you an eligibility date and you may complete your transaction by paying the registration fee. It costs $105 to take the NHA phlebotomy certification exam.

Applicants for the ASCP phlebotomy certification exam must complete a detailed application and pay a $135 fee. The ASCP Board of Certification accepts checks, money orders and online credit card payments. Do not send post-dated checks, or your application will not be accepted. The Board of Certification will return your application if you do not include the fee. Send the completed application and fee via regular mail. The certification board does not accept certified mail, registered mail or applications sent by other mailing methods. When completing the application, you must provide information about your phlebotomy training and work experience.

Exam Content

All three exams cover similar material, but the tests are organized differently. Each organization also gives different weights to each section of the phlebotomy certification exam. The ASPT exam covers collection procedures, specimen handling, specimen processing and transport, and laboratory principles. The NHA examination covers four major topics and consists of a total of 110 questions. Twenty-three of these questions focus on patient preparation for blood collection. This section includes questions about professional conduct when greeting patients, explaining collection procedures to patients, identifying patients properly, reviewing laboratory requisitions, receiving consent to perform blood collections, assessing the patient to determine the best site for venipuncture and selecting a venipuncture site that minimizes the risk to the patient.

The next section contains a total of 40 questions covering collection techniques. Thirty of these questions cover basic collection; 10 cover special collection procedures. The third section of the test has questions regarding specimen processing, including labeling and transport procedure. The final section of the NHA phlebotomy certification exam covers safety and compliance issues. The ASCP examination has six sections covering the following topics: circulatory system anatomy and physiology, non-blood specimens, laboratory operations, specimen collection, point-of-care testing, and specimen processing and handling. Specimen collection questions make up 55 percent of the examination. Point-of-care testing and circulatory system contain the fewest questions of the examination.

Phlebotomy Certification Exam Study Tips

Because all three phlebotomy certification examinations cover similar information, you should use textbooks, study guides and flashcards to learn and memorize the material. If you have access to a mannequin, it is also a good idea to practice specimen collection before the exam. Your study sessions should focus on the following information:

• Proper identification of patients
• Professional behavior in a healthcare setting
• Order of draw rules
• Tube top colors and additives
• CPR and first aid procedures
• Medical ethics considerations
• OSHA workplace regulations
• Structure and function of the circulatory system
• Patient preparation
• Common laboratory tests
• Common complications
• Laboratory equipment
• Quality control techniques
• Medical terminology
• Specimen types
• Working with newborns and infants
• Transport and storage of specimens
• Urinalysis and other point-of-care testing
• Composition of blood
• Venipuncture and capillary stick techniques
• Blood culture collection
• Preparation of blood smears
• Calculating blood volume requirements
• Specimen labeling guidelines
• HIPAA regulations
• Chain of custody guidelines

Taking the Certification Exams

Each organization has different guidelines for taking each phlebotomy certification exam. You should be prepared to show identification at each testing center, however, as each organization has strict candidate identification guidelines. NHA offers three exam formats: paper-and-pencil, computer-based (school administered) and computer-based (commercial test center). After registering for the examination, you may schedule an appointment at a commercial test center by going to www.psiexams.com or calling the Candidate Service Center at (800) 773-9267.

If you cannot attend your scheduled exam, you will not receive a refund of the fee. Instead, you may transfer your exam to a new date within six months of the originally scheduled exam. If you do not take the test within six months of the original exam date, you will have to complete the registration process a second time. This includes paying the $105 registration fee when you send in your new application. The exam consists of 110 questions. Candidates have one hour and 50 minutes to complete the test. NHA uses scaled scores and percent correct to determine exam scores. The percent correct score is a measure of how many questions the candidate answered correctly compared with the total number of questions on the test. If a candidate answers 97 of the 110 questions correctly, this would be a percent correct score of 88.2 percent. The scaled score is a conversion of each candidate’s raw score and ranges from 200 to 500. You must receive a scaled passing score of at least 390 to pass the test.

ASCP requires certification candidates to schedule an appointment to take the exam. This organization uses computer-based testing. When you answer a question correctly, the next question is one of a slightly higher difficulty level. The questions increase in difficulty until you answer one incorrectly. If you answer a question incorrectly, the next question is of a lower difficulty. ASCP uses this method to tailor each examination to the individual ability of each candidate. The phlebotomy certification exam consists of 80 questions, with candidates allowed a maximum of two hours to complete the test. Because ASCP uses computer-based testing, you will be able to see your preliminary exam score as soon as you complete the test. You will receive your final score report in the mail within 10 business days of the exam. This report will indicate whether you passed or failed the exam. You must receive a minimum score of 400 to pass this phlebotomy certification test.