Phlebotomy Certification | Phlebotomy Training Online

Basic steps to get Phlebotomy Certification

You can make a career in the flourishing healthcare field if you know how to get a phlebotomy certification. The demand for phlebotomists is growing daily. A phlebotomy certification will help you get a number of great career opportunities.

Phlebotomy is the medical procedure to draw samples of blood from a patient’s vein. To diagnose the disease or ailment, these blood samples are tested in laboratories. Medical professionals who have expertise in this field are called phlebotomists, medical assistants or phlebotomy technicians. This is a very rewarding profession. You just need to have the basic skills and knowledge and get the phlebotomy certification. Here are the basic steps to get your phlebotomy certification.

How to get your phlebotomy Certification?

Step 1: Find schools or colleges which offer Phlebotomy Training

If you wish to become a phlebotomist you must research online about phlebotomy training. An online study will tell you about the colleges in your vicinity which offer phlebotomy training programs. Distance may not always be an issue. There are many colleges which offer online courses and training. You must also study each institution and its course contents and see whether it fulfils your requirement.

You should research about the community colleges and schools properly. Make sure they are accredited and the courses they offer are recognized by the government and the medical facilities.

Step 2: Find out prerequisites for the Phlebotomist Course

You must enquire what the requirements are for you to be eligible for the phlebotomy training program. Majority of the phlebotomy training programs require you to have a high school diploma. In case you do not have a high school diploma, you may have to take an acceptance exam. You must further your knowledge about phlebotomy by working in a blood clinic. This will give you a basic background before you join the phlebotomy training program.

Step 3: Attend Phlebotomy Training Program

Once you have fulfilled all prerequisites, you can attend the Phlebotomy Training Program. Majority Phlebotomy Training Programs also have placements. So you can be assured of a job as soon as you complete the course.

You need to keep your knowledge up-to-date in the field of phlebotomy. The Phlebotomist license needs to be renewed every year.

Many healthcare professionals regularly practice phlebotomy like

• Military Medics
• Medical Assistants
• EMT Personnel
• Disease Intervention Specialists
• Radiologic Technologist
• Nurses (LPN, LVN, RN)
• Physicians
• Physician Assistants

The rules for phlebotomists might vary with state. Each state has varying requirements like different levels of certification like Phlebotomy I, II or III.

If you have completed phlebotomy degree or certification program, you must take the phlebotomy certification exam. Institutions like the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), American Medical Technologists (AMT) and American Society for Phlebotomy Technicians (ASPT) provide certification. The certification also offers many added advantages. It permits you to work in any state and opens many more career opportunities for you.

Benefits of gaining Phlebotomy Certification

Once you get certified, you must undergo 6-8 weeks of training. Then you are fully prepared to enter the medical field. There are many advantages of having a phlebotomy certification. You can work in the state you wish. You will also get the average salary of the phlebotomists. The average salary of a phlebotomist may vary with experience, ability and location. A fresher usually earns $25,000 annually. With time and experience you can even earn $30,000 to $35,000 per annum.

Phlebotomy Training – Evening / Weekend Courses

If you are aspiring to become a phlebotomist and have a busy schedule already there is a good news for you. These days, students are fortunate as several schools offer Weekend Phlebotomy Training courses.  These schools conduct phlebotomy training classes in the evening as well as on the weekends.   Many such institutions provide phlebotomy training classes which have versatile schedules with classes in the night and weekend which helps you to work or study full time while preparing for Phlebotomy certification.

Due to the flexible schedules, this will certainly help people who are committed in the weekdays.  Such weekend phlebotomy classes to become a phlebotomy technician will even profit you if you are presently employed but are searching for a program which will help you to get into the healthcare profession. If you are a working student, you won’t have to give up your job to be a phlebotomy technician.

Weekend Phlebotomy Classes – Benefits

The weekend phlebotomy courses are not just meant for people who are presently employed.  The best part of the weekend classes is it is also great for you if you are right now enrolled in particular course which you attend during weekdays.   In case you completed the programs for phlebotomist, you can certainly have a good job in healthcare field even if you have not yet completed your other course.

The Evening and Weekend Programs have got a distinct community of learners. 
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Weekend Phlebotomy Training Classes

How to choose a good phlebotomy training course?

Becoming a phlebotomist would get you a job in the medical field in a doctor’s office, hospital, or healthcare institution without needing to put in four years or more of intensive education.  Phlebotomy training courses are much shorter extending from just a few months to around two years.

If you’re interested in choosing a career as a phlebotomist, you need to have at least a high school diploma or GED, and an aptitude for working with patients.  But one of the most important decisions you will have to make to start off on the right footing will be to choose a good phlebotomy training school or work place that will be the best fit for you.

Phlebotomy Training Course or On the Job Training?

Instead of signing up for a training program, some people choose to learn on the job by joining a healthcare institution that sponsors training for a small number of students.  If you are interested in taking this route, you should visit the human resources department of hospitals in your area to check if they have any such openings.

Online Phlebotomy Training Programs

But should you decide to take the training course route like most students do, you have two options.  You could apply to a college for a short course lasting for one or two semesters or a two year associate’s degree. Or else, you could sign up for an online training course.  At local schools you will be offered classroom learning as well as hands on training in a clinical setting both of which are essential for becoming a licensed or certified phlebotomist. 
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How to choose a phlebotomy training school?

Online Phlebotomy Classes

As you are already aware, the job of a Phlebotomist is to draw blood for tests or blood donations. The job may sound and look easy, but it is a specialized job.  You need to undergo a proper training course and successfully complete the phlebotomy training course in order to serve as a Phlebotomist.  There are plenty of phlebotomy training programs available.  Basically, you have two kinds of phlebotomy training programs which includes the traditional classroom based phlebotomy training program and the online phlebotomy training program.

The online phlebotomy training program is gaining immense popularity with more and more individuals opting for the online program.  The advantages of undergoing an online training program for phlebotomy certification are huge.  But, first and foremost, you need to join a good online program.  You would be amazed to note that not all online phlebotomy programs are  recognized and some do not have quality course content.  Before enrolling for any online phlebotomy certification program, you need to visit the institute offering the online program and discuss regarding the course contents.

You have to note that all hospitals do not recognize the online phlebotomy training programs.  Before opting for an online training program, you need to select a phlebotomy school that is recognized and certified by either the national or state health department.  You also need to take care since certain online courses need you to be online at a specific period of time.  You may find this quite uncomfortable because like majority of individuals, you too would like to opt for an online program because of its flexible schedule owing to other important priorities of life.
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Online Phlebotomy Certification

Tips for getting Phlebotomy Certification

By now, you must have definitely become familiar with the term Phlebotomy wherein the phlebotomist withdraws the blood from the patients, solely for the purpose of detecting diseases.  The process looks quite simple, but you would be amazed to know that a high degree of skill is required to carry out this job.  The job opportunities for phlebotomists are plenty, as they are required in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and at the doctor’s offices.  You can become a phlebotomist by completing approved Phlebotomy training course; however, these days  most healthcare facilities recruit only certified phlebotomists.

What do you learn in Phlebotomy School?

You, therefore, need to understand as to how you can secure your phlebtomy certification in order to procure a good job.  The first step would be to enroll in a good phlebotomy school and complete the training program successfully.  You need to be very careful in selecting the phlebotomy  school as all the phlebotomy training programs are not approved by the health department.  You need to join that training program which has been certified by the health department both at the state and national level.  You must try to talk to some experienced phlebotomists or visit a few healthcare facilities in order to get an idea about their requirements.

A good phlebotomy training program will cover venipuncture which is the process of withdrawing blood through the appropriate veins.  You would also be taught to withdraw blood
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Phlebotomy Certification Tips

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How to cope up with stress in Phlebotomy Job?

Phlebotomy, like many healthcare fields, comes with a great deal of stress.  You have to regularly cope with patients who tend to be stressed as they are ill, as they are frightened of needles, or simply because they’re distrustful of healthcare personnel.

The emotional stress of continually ensuring that you adhere to safety practices to safeguard yourself from blood borne pathogens and the stress on realizing that a single mistake might even affect your health, and perhaps your life, could be devastating mentally if it is not dealt with appropriately.

Certified Phlebotomists in general operate in places that they may be continuously moving from first job to the next.  You could be coping with an uncooperative patient who requires a greater portion of your care and time when you receive another order for stat (emergency) blood draws over the hall or even across the building.

You may be managing irritated and uncooperative patients, irritated nurses, and doctors frequently.  In case you happen to be new to medical field you may expect that your colleagues are going to be professional, friendly and warm. And most definitely will, but on rare occasions it can appear like everybody is experiencing a bad day.

Identifying Stress in your Phlebotomy Job

Exactly how you deal with the excessive stress in the healthcare can make a great deal of change in your mindset, job security, emotional wellbeing, as well as your overall health. Unrestrained job stress can spill over to your family life and all facets of your individual life.

Every person tackles stress in diverse ways, and factors that genuinely affect one person might not impact another person at all. Many don’t realize they may be under stress, they simply assume they have been unwell. Certain indications of stress are:

• Sleep disturbances
•  Exhaustion
•  Lapse of memory
• Frustration
•  Depression
•  Pains and aches
•  HeadacheGetting stressed may also lead you to make errors, a thing you can’t afford being a phlebotomist

Managing Job Stress in a Phlebotomist Career

A common consensus is you must forget your work at your workplace; put simply, don’t carry it home along with you.
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Job Stress in a Phlebotomy Career

Educational Requirements for Phlebotomy Technicians

In order to become a Phlebotomy Technician, you need to undergo an extensive phlebotomy training. This is mandatory if you desire to be employed in any reputed medical center. You may enroll yourself into approved phlebotomy training program or can work and simultaneously learn. The type of training will vary with your school of learning.

Training for Phlebotomy Technician

There are mainly two ways in which you can be trained to be a Phlebotomy Technician.  You can either train yourself by going to vocational schools or to adult career training schools.  The course duration may vary from 3 months to over a year depending on the institution.  If you choose a long duration training program, you will get indepth insight into anatomy and physiology during the training period.  The choice of the course has to be made keeping your need in mind.

The following points are stressed in Phlebotomy Training

1. Human Anatomy

Your training program is sure to focus its attention on human anatomy. The vein which is a vital organ of human circulatory system, aids you to conveniently take out blood sample. You are also sure to cover skeletal and muscular system, respiratory system, urinary tract and lymphatic system in your study.

2. Taking Blood Samples and Composition

A phlebotomist may have to use his knack and different approaches while conducting tests.  He may have to use a different technique for taking blood from children while for testing adults the approach may vary.  He should have the knack to handle different people and different situations. You may also have to handle patients who are nervous or panicky.

You should know what composition of blood has and how it can affect adversely.  You must be aware of the pathogens that can spread ailments.

3. Safety and Care in Laboratory

A phlebotomist needs to be well acquainted with working safely in different parts of the laboratory.  You need to follow the desired caution and safety measures. 
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Educational Requirements for Phlebotomists

Phlebotomy Career Outlook

Jobs in the medical field are in high demand and so is the job of a Phlebotomist.  Phlebotomy is a rapidly growing healthcare field with excellent career opportunities.  Skilled and knowledgeable Phlebotomists are required in most medical healthcare centers and hospitals.  The best fact about becoming a Phlebotomist is it takes only a few months to undergo phlebotomy training become a phlebotomist.  You can also become a certified phlebotomist by completing the desired certification.  The American Society for Clinical Pathology, the National Phlebotomy Association and The American Phlebotomy Association are a few of the renowned institutes that provide certification programs for Phlebotomy Technician.

Phlebotomy Earnings

A certified Phlebotomist can work in healthcare centers, hospitals, laboratories and Pathology Labs.  As a Phlebotomist you can expect to earn $23000 to $60000 per year in the United States.  The money you earn will vary with the place you work in, your expertise, your education and your skill.  You can work yourself to the management position or study further to work as radiologist, medical assistant, nurse, doctor or many other options in the medical field.

Most healthcare professions are going through their best phase.  Statistics state that careers in this field will flourish further. Employment scope will also further improve.  With advent of Modern Technology, the need for skilled technicians will also increase.

Phlebotomist Jobs

A Phlebotomist can work full time or part time depending on his abilities and credentials.  Part time and full time work schedules vary in hospitals and various nursing homes.  Generally experienced Phlebotomists are preferred and hence always enlist your experience in your resume.  If you choose to work as a part time Phlebotomist in hospitals, then you may have to work 20-30 hours a week.

Demand for Phlebotomy Technicians

The technology used in medical field is continuously advancing.  With these advancements, the need for more trained professionals will also arise. 
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Phlebotomy as a Careeer

Venipuncture Procedure in Phlebotomy

All phlebotomists mainly have to perform venipunctures. The venipuncture procedure is usually performed at hospitals, healthcare clinics, nursing homes and physician’s offices for collecting blood samples for testing and analysis.  But sometimes, a different kind of venipuncture procedure has to be performed for intravenous (IV) insertion into a patient’s vein to supply medicines for treatment or nutrients intravenously.  For aspiring phlebotomists, a lot of stress is given on venipuncture procedure in Phlebotomy training courses.

Though imagining sticking a needle into someone’s vein may feel scary, venipuncture is in fact relatively easy to perform once you have been properly trained in the procedure.

Before performing a venipuncture, a phlebotomist needs to assemble all the required equipment and tools such as needles, syringes, blood collection tubes, tourniquets, cotton or gauze balls, antiseptic, and a specially designed puncture-proof container for safe disposal of the used needles, and have them ready.

The vacuum blood collection tubes are specially designed to collect a specific amount of blood.  Some types of tubes may contain additives meant for certain types of tests and can be identified by the color of their rubber stopper.

First of all, the phlebotomist has to identify the patient and check that all the essential information is correct.  Phlebotomists begin by washing their hands well with a special hand washing product.  They wear protective equipment such as latex or vinyl gloves and a lab coat or gown during blood collection.  Fresh gloves are worn every time a procedure is performed.  After performing the venipuncture, there has to be proper disposal of the equipment used, each item having its own container for disposal, in accordance with the bio-hazardous waste disposal policy.  All contaminated surfaces have to be wiped down using a freshly prepared bleach solution. Also, all surfaces need to be cleaned and sanitized daily with bleach.

Basic steps for performing a venipuncture

• Wash your hands well using anti-bacterial soap and plenty of water, and dry them with a paper towel.
• Immediately put on a fresh pair of latex or vinyl gloves.
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  Phlebotomy Training -- Venipuncture Procedure

When you sign up for a phlebotomy training course, you will be taught all the necessary skills and trained to perform all the different responsibilities of a phlebotomist.  After this, once you complete a minimum period of internship and complete a specified number of venipunctures, you will be able to take the certification exam, become a certified phlebotomist and get a good job with a decent salary in a hospital, or healthcare clinic, nursing home, etc.  In your job as a phlebotomist, you will learn that phlebotomy services include more than just drawing blood from patients. There are  far more important and complicated tasks other than one could imagine from the short description.

Since phlebotomists have to work with human blood, they are exposed to some degree of risk of contracting blood diseases.  They are therefore responsible for taking precautions regarding their own safety and that of other people.  Phlebotomists usually draw blood from patients under the direct supervision of a licensed healthcare professional or a doctor. But before drawing a patient’s blood, the phlebotomist has to ensure that the environment and the tools used in the process are sterile. Some patients are very uncomfortable or apprehensive about having their blood extracted, and phlebotomists have to put such people at ease and calm their fears.

In addition to drawing blood samples, phlebotomists administrate the samples and also label them correctly for further laboratory tests. Essential patient information is used for labeling to identifying the samples easily. There is also some paper work involved for being able to trace the blood or urine sample at any point from the time it was collected till the time it reaches the testing laboratory and is subsequently returned. The phlebotomist is also responsible for the proper disposal of blood and other body fluid samples.

Those phlebotomists who make home visits are also responsible for safely transporting the collected samples from the patients’ houses to the laboratory. Sometimes phlebotomists also have to process the blood samples for undergoing further tests.

Different types of phlebotomy courses are available today. You could register for a short term course covering just the basics, a one year course in a technical college or school, or an Associate’s degrees offered by most community colleges. In Louisiana and California, it is compulsory to register or get a license to become a certified phlebotomist. In other states, though certification is not obligatory, certified professionals are preferred for most good jobs.

Since phlebotomy services are not usually required for emergency cases, most phlebotomists work normal hours, unlike other healthcare professionals who are required to put in odd hours or extra hours of service for attending to any emergencies that may arise.

Thus, as you can see, phlebotomy services involve more than just drawing blood from patients.  Phlebotomists perform several other important jobs and have many responsibilities beyond what most people are aware of.  As specially trained laboratory technicians, they form an important part of the medical work force and their services are needed in every hospital or healthcare facility.

Origin of Phlebotomy – Timeline

Phlebotomy is one of the world’s earliest medical procedures.  It can be traced back to ancient civilizations such as the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and Mayans.  This practice was formerly called bloodletting, and was one of the four methods of restoring health, the other three being purging, vomiting and starving.  Bloodletting was considered a way of getting rid of bad blood from the body.   In this article, we will trace the history of phlebotomy to see how the present practice of phlebotomy was evolved.

History of Venipuncture

It is widely believed that the early Pilgrims brought the practice of bloodletting to America when they arrived here in the 18^th century.  In the old days, the tools used for venipuncture or draining blood were crude.  And in the middle ages, surgeons as well as barbers performed this bloody procedure.  Back then, people could walk into a barber’s shop for a haircut, for extracting a tooth, or for undergoing bloodletting!

Lancets were used to make shallow cuts. More elaborate procedures involving deeper cuts were carried out using spring-loaded lancets that were fired into veins in different locations around the body, and through ‘scarification’ which involved using a pack of small razor blades.  Leeching was another method and this was done by covering the patient with blood-sucking leeches.

Drawing one to four pints of blood till the patient became faint was a common practice.  In 1799, the First President of the United States, George Washington, died when doctors treating him for an acute throat infection bled him using leeches, and drained nine pints of blood from his body in a day.  He was just one of the many people who lost their lives because of bloodletting in those times.  Around hundred years later, towards the end of the 19^th century, phlebotomy was declared to be “quackery”.

Today, phlebotomy is the practice of extracting blood for laboratory testing or for blood transfusion.  Doctors rely on blood samples for diagnosing a range of diseases, and assessing the general health of patients.  Trained medical professionals use sterile needles and other equipment for collecting blood into sterile, sealed glass tubes, and store it properly till it is tested in a medical laboratory.

Yet another way that the practice of phlebotomy today differs from its ancient form is that when a person has his blood collected, he is either doing it to improve his health or to help someone else.  Today, thanks to blood transfusions, thousands of lives are saved every year.  The average volume of blood collected from blood donors is three pints.  But those in need of blood may need much more blood than this.  People who have undergone major surgeries or have been in severe car accidents are some of those who would typically need blood transfusions.

Phlebotomy is a valuable life-saving procedure and requires special skills.  Phlebotomists are trained professionals who find employment in hospitals, healthcare institutions, medical laboratories, nursing homes, etc.  Most of them are certified phlebotomists, that is, they are professionals who have obtained phlebotomy certification.

Thankfully, phlebotomy has evolved over the years from mere bloodletting to an invaluable medical procedure for curing people of diseases, restoring their health and even for saving lives.

Phlebotomy Certification – Practice Test

In order to become a certified phlebotomist you must clear this hurdle of passing the phlebotomy certification test.  Students undertaking phlebotomy training, have to practice many phlebotomy tests to gain the confidence to pass the phlebotomy certification exam.

These tests are tailor made to figure out whether the trainee is having the knowledge and skills required for an expert phlebotomist.  These skills include blood collection, safety procedure and other protocols.  In order to pass out phlebotomy certification, you need to prepare yourself for the major hurdle, in the form of phlebotomy practice exams.  After you start clearing out these tests, you will notice a change in your attitude. You will be no more anxious about certification and would have greater level of confidence.  You may also find out that these tests may assist you to a great extent in clearing out the phlebotomy certification.

Practice tests for phelebotomy certification are easily available and consist of wide variety of questions,which may come in the exam.  These tests have previous years question papers as their base. You also get the correct answer for each question, so you can rectify your mistakes and not repeat the same in the certification exam.  The best guide for phlebotomy would be the one, which has a blend of explanation and correct answer for each question.  However, it would be advisable to approach the certifying agency, when you are on a lookout for the best guide available in the market.  Some of the best examples are in the form of National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) and the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).

Online Phlebotomy Practice Tests

By paying $25, you can get a pass for accessing the online practice tests by ASCP phlebotomy.  This pass is valid for a period of 90 days.  By purchasing this pass, you can get access to 5 diverse practice papers, with each having 50 questions.  The question paper format and the type of these questions in these test papers completely resemble the question paper you would get during Phlebotomy certification.  NCCT also offers review materials in the form of practice tests and review books.  The packages offered by NCCT ranges between $15 to approximately $60.

Phlebotomy Exam Review Guides

A guide may come handy during the preparation of the phlebotomy certification exam. 
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Phlebotomy Practice Test Questions

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