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What is Phlebotomy Certification

Phlebotomy certification is the process by which someone obtains a certificate to practice phlebotomy at a given level (if the statewhat is phlebotomy certification has multiple levels of certification). It is a multi-stage process.

The first stage is having your prerequisites in order. That is, make sure you have completed everything needed to begin a class. This is generally satisfied by earning your high school diploma or an equivalent to a high school diploma such as a GED. If everything is in order, you can register at a phlebotomy training program. The program must be state-approved. Be careful not to waste your money in a class that does not have the backing of your state. Once you complete the second stage it is on to the third, which is passing the exam. If you pass the test move to the final stage, which is the application stage. With valid proof of fulfilling the requirements, including finishing the training class, passing the exam and completing any required experience in punctures on real patients, you will submit your materials to the state’s governing body. If approved, you will receive your certificate.

States have their own requirements for what it takes to earn certification. Be sure understand what those requirements are so that time and money are not wasted. For example, in California, there are 3 main levels of a phlebotomist: Limited Phlebotomy Technician, Certified Phlebotomy Technician I, and Certified Phlebotomy Technician II. Each level has its own set of requirements. If your state has a multi-tiered system like California, know which one you are applying for to meet its respective requirements.

Limited Phlebotomy Technician

The requirements for this level includes the following:

  • 20 hours of basic classes
  • 25 skin punctures
  • Certified Phlebotomy Technician I

This level is broken down into 3 categories: No experience, experience less than 1040 hours, and experience of 1040 hours or more. We will examine the requirements for each.

No Experience

  • 20 hours of basic classes
  • 20 hours of advanced classes
  • 40 hours of practical training
  • 50 venipunctures
  • 10 skin punctures

Experience less than 1040 hours

  • 20 hours of basic classes
  • 20 hours of advanced classes
  • 50 venipunctures
  • 10 skin punctures

Experience of 1040 hours or more

  • 20 hours of advanced classes
  • 50 venipunctures
  • 10 skin punctures

Certified Phlebotomy Technician II

  • 20 hours of advanced classes
  • 50 venipunctures
  • 10 skin punctures

Completion of the training program and the required punctures does not give you automatic certification. You still must apply for the certification after you finish the requirements. Applications are generally available online. Submit the required materials along with the application fee (if there is one) and await for approval. If approved, you will receive your certificate.

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Top 5 Reasons to Become a Phlebotomist

Top 5 Reasons to Become a Phlebotomist

A phlebotomist’s main responsibility is to draw blood samples from patients for the purpose of medical testing. A phlebotomy technician is the actually person withdrawing the blood. This position has several advantages over other health-related and nursing careers. Here are the top 5 reasons to become a certified phlebotomy technician.

1. Becoming a phlebotomist is relatively quick and easy. Unlike most profession health degrees and certifications, phlebotomists do not require extensive schooling to become certified. All that is usually required is to attend some training classes, usually at a community college, and then pass an exam. Some states do not even require this much! These courses and exam can be completed in under a year.

2. The return on investment is quite high for a phlebotomy technician. The amount of studying and training work that goes into becoming certified is minimal compared to other careers. You will be spending few hours in classes, and not very much money, but when you are finished you will emerge with a full certification in a health related field. This is enough to get you in the door of a doctor’s office or clinic and can pave the way for you to move up to your desired career path.

3. Currently, there are many open positions requiring the skills a trained phlebotomist possesses. Besides drawing blood samples, a phlebotomist is also good at organization, administrative work, and laboratory familiarity. This knowledge is enough to find a job in a related health field as well, not necessarily phlebotomy, if one chooses to deviate.

4. The services of a phlebotomy technician are required in numerous places. There is not a clinic, doctor’s office, hospital, or other health-related center that is not in need of an employee with the skills a phlebotomist possesses.

5. The pay rate for a certified phlebotomy technician is quite high compared to other jobs. Because phlebotomy is classified as a health-related field, the compensation is comparable to other beginning salaries in other health careers specializing in high responsibility and high level of detail.

These are just the top 5 reasons to become a certified phlebotomy technician. A phlebotomy technician certification is a great way to begin your employment and jump start your career. High pay and high rewards are some of the benefits you will receive when working in this field. You will be able to help those in need and provide for people who need your services. The amount of time you spend preparing yourself will pay itself back many times over. Keep these tips in mind when you are looking for your next position.

Phlebotomy Training Courses

What Things Are Covered In Phlebotomy Training Courses?

Health care workers who would like to improve their careers might want to consider taking up a phlebotomy training program in preparation for becoming certified professionals. What are the things usually covered in a training program?

In the past, phlebotomy certification was not a requisite for career advancement. It was only a process learned by medical workers on the job. However, as the health care industry began to grow, doctors, nurses, and other medical practitioners had new responsibilities that took away the time they were supposed to allocate for blood testing. This particular procedure was left in the hands of allied health workers, the phlebotomists.

These days, allied health workers take up phlebotomy training in order to enhance their chances of being chosen by prospective employers in health care institutions. It cannot also be denied that those who possess the appropriate certification are usually better compensated as compared to their uncertified colleagues.

In the United States, phlebotomy certification can usually be obtained from any of three major certifying agencies, namely, the National Phlebotomy Association, the American Society for Clinical Pathology, and the Association of Phlebotomy Technicians.

These agencies help aspiring candidates obtain necessary certification. All entities provide specialized training and classroom lessons that help raise an individuals chance of passing the certifying examination for phlebotomy.

Even if these agencies have different training curricula, they all help boost a practitioners knowledge about anatomy and various venipuncture techniques. Furthermore, there are also lessons on people interaction, considering that phlebotomy is an invasive procedure that can make patients feel uncomfortable or even scared.

Undergoing training will require an individual to log in a prescribed number of hours for classroom lessons and for hands-on clinical internship. The number of hours required will vary among the three agencies. Furthermore, the individual working toward a certification will have to accumulate a specified number of unaided bloodletting in order to complete their coursework.

Requirements for Phlebotomy Certification

What are the Requirements for Phlebotomy Certification?

The requirements to earn phlebotomy certification depend on the type of certification you wish to obtain. Not all states are the what are the requirements to be a phlebotomist are the same, but if you live in a state where there is more than 1 type of phlebotomy certification, then you need to be aware of the requirements for each type. For the purpose of this article, we are using California as our example.

 

In California we have the following types of phlebotomists:

  • Limited Phlebotomy Technician – Skin puncture blood collection only
  • Certified Phlebotomy Technician I – Venipuncture and skin punctures
  • Certified Phlebotomy Technician II – Arterial puncture, venipuncture, and skin punctures

Each type of phlebotomist has its own requirements. Remember, the following requirements are for California. Each state has its own levels of phlebotomy certification with their respective requirements. These are the current requirements for California. Additionally, all of these types require that you have high school diploma or its equivalent like a GED.

Limited Phlebotomy Technician

To receive certification for Limited Phlebotomy Technician, you will need to complete 20 hours of a basic training course. The training course must be one that is approved by the state. So before you sign up, verify that it is state-approved. You must also perform 25 successful skin punctures on real patients. These procedures must be done either as part of the training course or on the job.

Certified Phlebotomy Technician I

There are three types that California recognizes for the Certified Phlebotomy Technician I: Those with no experience, those with less than 1040 hours of experience, and those with 1040 hours or more with experience. Let’s examine the differences for requirements:

Certified Phlebotomy Technician I (without experience)

If you have no job experience, you are required to complete 20 hours of basic classes, 20 hours of advanced classes, 40 hours of practical training (this must be done in a clinical setting), and you must successfully perform 50 venipunctures and 10 skin punctures.

Certified Phlebotomy Technician I (less than 1040 hours of experience)

If you have less than 1040 hours of experience, your requirements are similar to those with no experience, with the exception that you are not required to have 40 hours of training in a clinical setting. You will need to attend 20 hours of basic classes and 20 hours of advanced ones. And you must perform 50 venipunctures and 10 skin punctures.

Certified Phlebotomy Technician I (1040 hours of experience or more)

Your requirements if you have 1040 hours of experience or more are lighter than the other types of Certified Phlebotomy Technician I . It’s easy to see why. Because you have so much on the job training, it is assumed you know what you are doing. You don’t need to take any basic classes, but you will need to take 20 hours of advanced classes and you must complete 50 venipunctures and 10 skin punctures.

Certified Phlebotomy Technician II

This is the top level phlebotomist. To earn certification you must complete 20 hours of advanced classes during your training. And under the guidance of a licensed MD, PA, RN, CLB, CLS, or RCP, you must successfully complete 20 arterial punctures, in addition to the 50 venipunctures and 10 skin punctures.

Where to Get Phlebotomy Certification

Where to Get Phlebotomy Certification?

Where to get your phlebotomy certification depends on the state. Each state has its own governing agency that regulates thewhere to get phlebotomy certification phlebotomy profession. This agency likely regulates other health professions that are similar. It is this agency that approves of training programs and exams. Therefore, before signing up for a class, make sure it is on the approved list.

If you want to be certified, you need to take care of any requirements that are expected of you to be completed. The process is multi-tiered, and it usually looks like this:

  • Prerequisites
  • Training
  • Exam
  • Application
  • Prerequisites

Prerequisites are anything that must be completed before you can begin your training program. This includes having a high school diploma. If you don’t have a high school diploma, you will need its equivalent, such as a GED. If you received your education outside of the United States you will need to submit your diploma or a document at least equivalent to a high school diploma to AACRAO for evaluation, or submit an official translation of the foreign transcript. The training class may not request the prerequisite, but the state agency certainly will if it’s required.

Training

With your prerequisites in order, you should start look for a phlebotomy course to enroll in. But do not sign up for just any class. You need to check if the class you are interested in singing up for is approved by the state. Each state provides an up-to-date list of programs that are approved. Make sure the class is on the list.

Training varies from state to state. There is no national regulation of the profession, so each state determines its own requirements for students to complete. Some programs are longer than others, and some will be more comprehensive.

To give you an example, California’s phlebotomy training program is multi-tiered. Each type of technician has its own class and practical training requirements

  • Limited Phlebotomy Technician
  • Certified Phlebotomy Technician I
  • Certified Phlebotomy Technician II

Students in the Limited Phlebotomy Technician program must complete 20 hours of basic classes and 25 successful skin punctures.

Those in the Certified Phlebotomy Technician I program are required to do, not only 20 hours of basic classes, but 20 also hours of advanced classes. They are only required to do 10 successful skin punctures, but they must also do 50 venipunctures.

If you are in the Certified Phlebotomy Technician II program, you do not have to take basic classes, but you must do the 20 hours of advanced classes. Like Technician I, you must do 10 skin punctures and 50 venipunctures, and additionally you must complete 20 arterial punctures.

Exam

At the end of your training course, you are eligible to sit down and take the exam. Just as states regulate which classes are approved, they also approve of the certifying organizations to give exams. Although the states approve of the organizations, your potential employer may favor one over the others.

Application

After you have passed the exam, you may not apply for your certification with your state. Each state has a particular department or agency in charge. You are expected to apply through them. The application process consists of furnishing the following:

  • Submitting copy of high school diploma (or its equivalent)
  • Certificate of completion of training program
  • Certificate of completion of exam
  • Documentation of punctures (skin, venipunctures, arterial) if applicable
  • Application fee

Once everything has been submitted, including the fee, your application will be processed. If everything is successful, you can expect to receive your certificate certifying your position as a phlebotomist.

Phlebotomy License

In order to obtain your Phlebotomy certification which then results in the candidate being issued with their Phlebotomy License, an examination has to be written and passed. Whoever conducts this examination, the state you live in or the US government, it is proof that a qualified Phlebotomist will be allowed to practice as a certified Phlebotomist. Not all US states insist in this certification, but in California – they are very strict – no license, no practice, no work.

The Importance of being a Licensed Phlebotomist

Whether the Phlebotomy study course took a year or 6 months to complete, or maybe even a 4 year long and involved degree, a license is required to show that you have reached the required standard to become a practicing Phlebotomist. Skill and experience are not enough – understand that very clearly. An uncertified Phlebotomist will not progress very well in her career as there will be this continual doubt in the employers mind about just how she qualified…

If medical science is your favorite subject, and a lot of interest is shown over the last year or so in the Phlebotomy career, then perhaps that is the path for you to follow. There are plenty of ‘on-the-job’ training courses with the emphasis on the practical nature of the job itself. And at the end of the course, find out about the certification examination and make sure the exam is taken and passed.

Without a license, mistakes can be made and they can turn into a very big issue for you if you are not protected by your license and you have no recourse to any backup from the accreditation agency. By not having a license, a person leaves himself wide open to be sued for malpractice suits and that is something really worth avoiding so early in a career.

How to Get a Phlebotomy License?

What is the procedure to follow to get a Phlebotomy license? Well, whatever school you are studying at, you have to complete the minimum number of courses they require for Phlebotomy certification. The study course must have met the Health Department guidelines set out in that State. A year or so of experience helps expand the knowledge base. States all differ in their expectations of students qualifications, but the norm is around 1 000 hours of work as a Phlebotomist in the laboratory. This counts very well towards one’s license requirements.

There are many certification schools around and agencies online who offer certification courses. At the end of it, a written examination takes place, as well as a demonstration of skills of what has been learnt and whether it has been put into practice successfully or not.

These practical skills are listed here for ease of referral:

  • preparing the patient before blood extraction / bedside manner
  • both techniques have to be demonstrated – i.e venipuncture and arterial puncture
  • quality of care shown to the patient during and after the procedure
  • methods of safety while delivering the samples to the lab, and processing the blood samples or bodily fluids specimen
  • preventative procedures used against infectious diseases
  • discuss the ethics and legalities involved in phlebotomy
  • show the quality assurance techniques used in the labs
  • show how to use the materials and reagents in the lab

If all of these points are carried out 100% correctly, the candidate is extremely deserving of his or her Phlebotomy license.

Phlebotomy Licensing Institutions

As we know by now, only 2 states require licensed Phlebotomists, but it certainly gives you a better start in the job market. The person employing a Phlebotomist with a license can be assured that they are getting a very competent member of staff – and that’s the whole point. The candidate is rated by an international or national organization and that puts employer’s minds at rest. That is why these institutions exist – to implement and carry out regulatory checks and to have an acceptable norm in the industry with which to compare applicants.

Places such as The American Society for Clinical Pathology, the National Phlebotomy Association and the Association of Phlebotomy Technicians all adhere to these standard norms and principles.

Phlebotomy Careers

Lift Up Your Career As A Phlebotomy Technician

Phlebotomy Technician

Phlebotomy technician is a person who works as a part of a medical team and collects blood samples. He does this by making a small surgical cut on the vein known as veni-puncture and takes a little quantity of blood for testing in a laboratory. A person who does this is termed as a Phlebotomist.

Duties

A duty of a Phlebotomy Technician is to take samples of blood and urine as well as explain the procedure to the patients. If ever you have given blood samples then you have met a Phlebotomist. His job is not only to take samples but to keep up to date awareness and knowledge of new drug testing laws and assist the patients. If ever you have given a blood sample then you might have been nervous because of the incision. Most kids and some adults also feel intimidated with the incision procedure. Then the duty of the phlebotomy technician is to keep you calm, and reduce your anxiety. He also needs to check the pulse rate, blood pressure and respiration rate. Apart from this a Phlebotomist performs a lot of lab duties. He has to transfer the samples for lab analysis and keep the record of every patient updated.

Training and education for Phlebotomy

To become a phlebotomy technician, it’s vital to enroll in a training program where you will be trained and educated about various clinical procedures both theoretical and practical. To enroll you need to meet the minimum criterion that is a high school diploma. In a few states you would not require training; instead you can directly do the OJT (on the job training) where you will learn all techniques required to be a Phlebotomy technician.

If the requirement says you need a course then the course content may vary from college to college. It also depends on what kind of phlebotomy skills you would want to develop. You will be taught about techniques of blood collection, needle techniques, CPR, Interaction with patients and various other legal issues. These programs are short term and can be completed within 6 to 10 weeks.

After the training you would need to be certified and for that you need to give a competency exam. Moreover, gain an ample amount of work experience. You would also require a license to work in this particular field and take an intense extensive training. As a phlebotomy technician you would need to work under the supervision of a physician or an experienced laboratory scientist and get use of daily activities involved in a clinic, hospital, office, blood donation center etc.

Career Prospects

Career as a Phlebotomist has a huge potential and the statistics reveal that in US the expected job growth will be 14% in the next decade. One can expect a flourishing career in this field but should also be prepared for ample of hard work. As the job of a phlebotomy technician is very challenging, it’s important to be focused and dedicated in the field. The future shows that medical technology is going to be more advanced and faster. Thus there are going to be dynamic job opportunities and great monetary security as well.