Category Archives: Get Certified as a Phlebotomist

Become a Phlebotomy Technician, Get Certified as a Phlebotomist

How to become a phlebotomist

Phlebotomy: Summary of How to Become a Phlebotomist

How to become a phlebotomistA phlebotomist is a professional healthcare worker who is trained to draw blood from a patient.  A Phlebotomist may be required to draw blood samples for a wide range of blood tests, blood donations or even blood transfusions.  For you to learn how to become a Phlebotomist, there is a range of formal training and education.  On top of that, there may be requirements for certification or licenses, which are the formal requirements for how to become a Phlebotomist.  And finally, there is also a need to gain experience operating as a Phlebotomist, practicing in the safe and sanitary manner to take blood samples from patients.

Learn about the education for how to become a Phlebotomist

The minimum education required to become a Phlebotomist require that you have achieved a high school diploma.  Additional training and education for how to become a Phlebotomist will be offered under a specific Phlebotomy training program, which we have provided numerous links to make it easier for you to choose the best Phlebotomy training course.

Step-by-step guide for how to become a Phlebotomist

There can be many different ways you can approach a career in Phlebotomy, and some people use it as a stepping stone to progress further into a medical career.  However you choose to do it, we have itemised the basics steps for how to become a Phlebotomist.

Step 1: Minimum Education Levels

Most Phlebotomy training courses require a minimum education level of high school diploma.  Although there is not necessarily any grade standard attached to this, it is always preferable to demonstrate that you have good fundamentals.  It is necessary that you are able to learn new skills about how to become a Phlebotomist.  Phlebotomy training involves learning about biology, anatomy, and chemistry, so it is desirable that you understand and like learning about these subjects.   Another requirement is that you must be at least 18 years of age in order to apply to enrol in a Phlebotomy training course.

Step 2: Phlebotomy Training Courses

If you want to learn how to become a Phlebotomist, then you need to find a suitable Phlebotomy training school nearby.  We have a wide range of available Phlebotomy training schools and training courses, so search through the list to find the nearest training center that you would prefer to attend.  [Phlebotomy Training Courses]

When you choose a training course for how to becomes a Phlebotomist, you will learn all of the basic skills of Phlebotomy.  You will learn how to draw blood from patients for blood sampling, blood testing, blood donation, and blood transfusion.  You will learn about all of the various ways in which drawn blood must be treated, stored and transported to ensure that the blood samples are preserved appropriately.  You will learn how to read and interpret the Doctor’s prescription for blood sampling, and you will be able to draw the correct blood samples for which ever testing the patient may require.

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You will also learn about how to deal with patients who may be apprehensive about drawing blood, or having a needle inserted into their vein.  It is always Important to relax the patient and to remain calm and competent while working as a Phlebotomist.  We always like to recommend handy tips such as use of a Pain gone Pen to distract patients during the procedure so that they don’t feel any pain!

Lastly, you will also learn about taking care with infection and sanitization training how to become a Phlebotomist.  It is important to be learn about safety whenever dealing with blood samples, and to maintain cleanliness to avoid infections of any kind.

Step 3:  Phlebotomy Registration or Certification

Training how to become a Phlebotomist is usually completed in less than a year, and will allow you to become a professional Phlebotomist.  As well as the theoretical training, you would also be expected to spend some time doing practical Phlebotomy with a medical facility or hospital.

Upon completion of the formal training aspects for how to become a Phlebotomist, you may be eligible for certification.  Depending on where you live or work, it may not be a requirement to have certification to practice Phlebotomy.  But in terms of finding a good job, it is better to show an employer that you have the certification to perform the role as a Phlebotomist.  Having Phlebotomy certification may even enhance your earning potential!

In the United States, there is a range of organizations that provide phlebotomy certification:

  • American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
  • American Medical Technologists (AMT)
  • National Healthcareer Association (NHA)

Step 4: Employment as a Phlebotomist

Now that you have learnt how to become a Phlebotomist, you can work as a qualified medical professional.  Without a doubt, there is rising demand for a wide range of medical health care workers.  The good thing about training how to become a Phlebotomist is that you have already gained practical hands on work experience.  Because you may have already met with prospective employers, and worked within a hospital or medical clinic, then you should promote yourself in a positive and professional manner at all times.  Many student Phlebotomists can be approached by recruiters or employers during training.  But you need to be active and promote yourself so that you will be seen as an asset to any medical facility who needs professionally trained staff.

How long does it take to become a phlebotomist?

The process for how to become a Phlebotomist is not as long as for other medical health professionals.  Depending on which Phlebotomy training school you choose, it can take anywhere from 6 months to 10 months which includes practical hands on experience.  Then you should allow some time to build up actual employment experience to apply for certification, which may take another couple of months.  All up, you can expect to complete Phlebotomy training in 1 year, and be actively undertaking a Phlebotomy career with your choice of employment.

 

Get Certified as a Phlebotomist

Are There License Requirements to Become an Phlebotomist Tech?

Allied health professionals in the United States do not necessarily need to be licensed to practice their professions, mainly because some states do not require it. So for those who ask “are there license requirements to become an phlebotomist technician?”, the answer is, outside California, there is none. Phlebotomists are a subgroup of health support practitioners whose primary duty is to draw blood from live human or animal patients for laboratory analysis.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics group phlebotomists with medical technologists because the latter sub-group comprises all professions that deal with extracting specimens – blood, tissue, urine, feces – from patients for diagnosis, research or medical screening. While medical technologists generally need to be licensed to get hired, phlebotomists are not necessarily required to acquire one because there is no legal mandate established yet for across-the-board national standard for license.

Those who want to practice phlebotomy outside of California only need to sit for a certifying examination administered by three major accrediting bodies. These are the National Phlebotomy Association (NPA), American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians (ASPT) and American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).

For aspirants to be eligible to sit in for certifying (or licensing, as in the case of California) examinations, they need to complete phlebotomy courses accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences or NAACLS. In lieu of this qualification, aspirants to the field can either complete a training program in as short as four months, or preferably a two-year certificate program. Four-year courses in the medical field like medical technology or nursing are also highly preferred , although most professionals graduating from this course need to be certified as phlebotomists (even though they may already be licensed as nurses or medical technologists) before they can perform any blood collection procedure.

In the absence of such formal or accredited training, an entrant to the profession may want to gain hands-on experience in the area. Typically, at least 100 unaided blood extractions have been performed by the aspirant before he or she can be allowed to sit in for certifying exams on top of completing coursework on academic requirements.

Certifications issued by the accrediting bodies are crucial in the absence of state license requirements. NPA, ASCP and ASPT determine the standards by which to evaluate the entrant, and passing their examinations assure the clients – hospitals, clinics, laboratories, biomedical research facilities – that a phlebotomist is equipped with the necessary knowledge and training to perform the job duties satisfactorily. In addition, because these medical institutions are also regulated by a higher accrediting agency, they are only likely to hire certified phlebotomists in compliance with business license requirements set forth by the governing body of the industry.

A non-certified but experienced phlebotomist may be hired, but he or she will likely face limited options in terms of promotion or pay increase. In the event of unemployment, a non-certified phlebotomist may also likely face stiff competition from those who are registered with accrediting agencies. In conclusion, for those who wish to advance in their careers and ask “are there license requirements to become an phlebotomist technician?”, they will be well-advised to get certified because this will eventually be required should state licensing be instituted.

Get Certified as a Phlebotomist

Looking for a career in healthcare? Become a Phlebotomist!

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The economy is tough, and finding a job is getting harder and harder. In an ideal world, starting your career in healthcare as a doctor would bring tremendous benefits, to say nothing of prestige. While there is huge demand for highly specialized medical professionals right now, there is also that extensive academic training that would take years to complete and would be prohibitive for most. Being a general practitioner may not be an entry-level option for everyone, but as with anything in career or in life, one can always start small and build great careers from there.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for healthcare, and therefore the demand for personnel to deliver health services, will remain much faster than all other occupations across all groups  in the foreseeable future, especially that the baby boomers have started turning 65 and are more likely than most to require specialized care. The baby boomers are also in that coveted position of being able to afford health services that they would need, regardless of cost.

So how do you take advantage of this trend in an atmosphere of uncertain economy and scarce jobs? How can you tap into a slice of this market and make it work for you? Phlebotomy is the science of making an incision in a vein in order to extract body fluids from patients. It does not require extensive training like doctors and nurses, but it gets you to the same environment that would allow you later on to take full advantage of the ever-growing market of healthcare. Most phlebotomy courses will only take less than six months of your time, and the lecture part of the course can even be taken online. This allows you to transition into the field of healthcare if you are presently unemployed in another industry or are contemplating to start a meaningful career which puts you in place to help people in need.

The barrier to entry in phlebotomy is easily surmountable. About 40 hours of lecture in an academic setting or online plus extensive hands-on training in a clinical environment, and you will be well on your way to get certified. That said, it is crucial to choose courses – whether online or on-campus – that are certified by CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs). This is because phlebotomy certifying bodies like American Society for Clinical Pathology’s Board of Certification (ASCP-BOC), American Medical Technologists (AMT), the American Credentialing Agency (ACA), the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT), and the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) would likely require that your courses are CAAHEP-certified before sitting in for a licensing/certifying examination.

With the employment of phlebotomists and allied professions expected to grow by 15% until 2020, there is no reason why getting into this field is not feasible. Expect, however, that there will be tight competition for jobs which require not only certification and training, but more important, extensive clinical experience.

A degrees require a significant amount of schooling that gets quite expensive. Becoming a phlebotomist requires some schooling, hands on training, and provides you with a steady career in healthcare. In the classroom, you have around 40 hours of lecture hall like learning. After you learn about what you have to do as a phlebotomist, you have hands on training showing you how to perform what you have learned. People will always need their blood drawn, and phlebotomists will always be needed in the healthcare field.