Varsity Tutors can place you in a comprehensive phlebotomy certification training program to help you prepare for your phlebotomy certificate. Phlebotomy is a medical procedure that involves drawing blood from patients. Technically speaking, the process of puncturing a blood vessel with a needle is phlebotomy, while venipuncture is the term for actually drawing the blood. Nevertheless, phlebotomists are the professionals who draw blood from patients and prepare those samples for transfusions, donations, and medical testing. But before you can become a phlebotomist technician, you first need to pass a certification course that assesses your ability to safely extract blood samples. We can assist you with preparing for your certification exam by placing you in an online phlebotomy certification training course.
What Are Some of the Benefits of Receiving a Phlebotomy Certification?
Receiving your phlebotomy certification is an effective way to advance your career in healthcare or medical research. If you live or work in California, Louisiana, Nevada, or Washington, you'll have to become certified before you can work as a phlebotomist. That's because all four of these states require anyone who's not a doctor, nurse, or clinical lab scientist to be licensed in order to draw blood.
But what about states that don't require phlebotomists to be certified? While one may think that there's no benefit to receiving a phlebotomy certificate outside of the four states mentioned above, that couldn't be further from the truth. Many independent employers still require you to hold a phlebotomy certification. And regardless of where you're practicing, holding a phlebotomy certification offers a number of benefits that can help you with furthering your career. For starters, it requires you to enhance your studies in phlebotomy and related fields, which is critical for gaining additional knowledge in the field. It also validates your experience and expertise in addition to demonstrating your willingness to expand your skill set. All of this can go a long way in helping you earn a promotion, receive a pay raise, or make you an appealing candidate to potential employers.
Is There Anything I Need to Know Before Taking a Phlebotomy Certification Course?
Before pursuing your certification in phlebotomy, it's important you understand there's no uniform certification program or exam for becoming a phlebotomy technician. Multiple organizations issue phlebotomy certifications through their assessment programs and each association has its own evaluation guidelines. Four of the most widely recognized certifying bodies are the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), The American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians (ASPT), the National Phlebotomy Association (NPA), and the American Medical Technologists (AMT).
What makes this tricky is that all phlebotomy certificates aren't universally accepted. If you plan on working in one of the four states that require phlebotomy certification, it's important to verify whether your certification is accepted there. California, for example, only accepts certificates from seven organizations. Of the four listed above, California only recognizes certificates issued by the AMT.
Because certification isn't standardized, every phlebotomy program has its own criteria and guidelines. With that said, there usually are not a lot of prerequisites that need to be fulfilled before you can become a phlebotomist. Most programs only require you to have a high school diploma or GED, in addition to completing a postsecondary course on phlebotomy. These courses usually take less than a year to complete. As you've probably already guessed, you'll need to complete a certification exam before receiving your phlebotomy certificate. Every organization has its own assessment criteria, so the content covered in an exam administered by the AMT might be slightly different than an exam administered by the ASPT or NPA. Still, the overall concepts will remain the same regardless of which organization you're pursuing a certificate through. If you'd like assistance mastering these concepts, we can help by placing you in an interactive phlebotomy certification course that can help you prepare for your certification assessment.
What Are Some Topics Covered in the Phlebotomy Certification Class?
Phlebotomy certification training is designed to help prepare professionals for their certification exam. The topics covered in these classes have been carefully chosen by a professional instructor who's familiar with several phlebotomy certification exams. This means that the content of your phlebotomy certification class will be closely aligned with the material you encounter on the exam. If you were worrying about having to go through study packets trying to determine which information you should memorize, you can relax. All of the work has already been done for you by your instructor. All you need to do is follow along as you cover concepts like handling blood, collecting specimens, and basic information about the circulatory system. Let's take a closer look at some of the content you'll encounter in our phlebotomy certification class.
As a phlebotomy technician, you'll be working primarily with blood. As such, it's important that you have a basic scientific understanding of blood and other relevant concepts. Participating in a phlebotomy certification training class gives you the ability to look at these concepts in a collaborative learning environment. You can learn the basics about the circulatory and lymphatic systems, and how all this information relates to your certification exam. You can take a closer look at blood and cell composition, looking at how infection and disease can affect blood and cells. While you cover topics like these in class, your instructor is there to tie everything back into phlebotomy so you understand why it's important to have a working knowledge of medical science.
One of the most important areas of phlebotomy is how specimens are collected and handled. Mishandling a specimen could contaminate samples, which could lead to false positives or inaccurate results. For this reason, it's absolutely critical that all phlebotomy technicians know and follow the proper protocol when collecting and managing specimens. While this may sound daunting at first, a phlebotomy certification training course can help you better understand how to collect and handle specimens. You can learn how to draw blood from patients in a way that minimizes discomfort, how to properly label specimens, and how to minimize the risk of contamination when transporting and processing your specimens. Your instructor can also talk about some of the most common types of blood tests, as well as any relevant medical vocabulary that's important for you to understand in your day-to-day operations.
There are a number of other concepts you can learn through our phlebotomy certification training courses. Your instructor can teach you how to perform venipuncture and arterial punctures effectively by looking at how you can use different techniques based on your type of patient. That way, you'll know the best way to draw blood from newborns and children, or what you should avoid doing when working with senior citizens. You can also learn about lab safety by looking at how to safely handle equipment, clean up spills without endangering you or your peers, and how to conduct yourself professionally in a laboratory environment. Finally, you can also explore ways to improve your interaction with patients, like learning how to comfort people who are scared of needles or afraid of the sight of their own blood. While not as critical as collecting and handling specimens, learning how to interact with patients in a way that's calm and empathetic can decrease your likelihood of making mistakes and causing unnecessary discomfort when drawing blood.
These are just a few of the topics you can expect to find in a phlebotomy certification class. Every topic can be taught in a way that doesn't just prepare you for your upcoming certification exam, but also aids you in improving your professional skills.
What Are Some Advantages That Come With Taking a Phlebotomy Certification Course?
Our phlebotomy lessons are designed to give you an interactive learning experience that makes studying fun and engaging. If you're someone who finds self-study boring, this course can serve as a platform for meaningful collaboration that can help you broaden your understanding of phlebotomy. One of the biggest advantages of this course is its flexible content. While every lesson is designed to cover the material presented on your certification exam, you won't be locked into a rigid curriculum. If you and your classmates have already mastered a specific concept, your instructor won't spend unnecessary time covering that topic. Instead, they can move onto another subject so that everyone uses their study time more efficiently. This degree of flexibility also gives your instructor more autonomy when it comes to diving deeper into key concepts. If there's something they feel is important that isn't covered extensively in the coursework, they can talk about it in your lessons.
Another feature that sets our phlebotomy certification training course apart from other online lessons is that everything is live. When you participate in classes, you're engaging with your instructor and classmates in real time. Studying through podcasts and prerecorded videos is essentially the same as self-studying, but our program focuses on collaborative learning. When your instructor covers a concept, you can ask questions related to that topic and immediately get a response. This also means that you're never studying outdated material. If there's something in the news related to phlebotomy, like a new technological breakthrough or a scandal because a hospital didn't follow the proper procedures, your instructor can cover those events and find a way to relate it back to your study material. This is helpful for creating an authentic learning environment that invites you to look beyond the surface of your course material by examining the ways that phlebotomy is applied in the real world.
Chances are, there will be times where you face challenges while studying. If you're studying by yourself, you may get caught on a particular concept and fall behind. You can end up wasting a lot of time trying to catch up, only to misread an explanation and memorize a fact incorrectly. This isn't something you have to worry about in our phlebotomy courses. If you need clarification on a particular topic, feel free to ask your instructor during a lesson. They can provide you with detailed explanations and examples that are thorough, but easy to understand. If you ever feel like you're really stuck and don't know how to make sense of something, you have the option to request to meet privately with your instructor for additional assistance. Together, the two of you can review the topics that have been giving you problems and come up with a solution to help you overcome your academic hurdles.
Similarly, studying alongside other professionals gives you the ability to collaborate with your peers. Some of your classmates may already have some experience working as a phlebotomy technician, which means they can offer insight into what you should expect when working at a hospital or blood donation center. You can also use this opportunity to solve problems and hold in-depth discussions with your peers. Many people find this collaborative component to be one of the most enjoyable parts of the course. It opens you up to new experiences and perspectives, and in some cases, it can show you how there are different ways to solve the same problem. What's more, many people find that interactive learning experiences, like the ones offered through a phlebotomy certification training course, make it easier to memorize and understand important concepts. All of this can help you when it comes time to take the test, as well as bolster important professional skills that can empower you throughout your career.
Can I Fit a Phlebotomy Course Into My Busy Schedule?
Varsity Tutors understands that most people pursuing a phlebotomy certificate may be going to school or working full-time jobs. As a result, a lot of interested people simply can't find the time to enroll in a training course while managing their other responsibilities. That's why we've made enrolling in our phlebotomy certification training program as flexible as possible - so that everyone can participate in a course at a time that works for them.
Upon registering for the course, you'll have to choose a time during the week you want to meet for lessons. We offer several courses at different times and on different days of the week, so choose the one that best suits your schedule. Don't worry if you can't find any space to squeeze in lessons right now, though. We provide new courses at the beginning of every month, so you'll always have a chance to participate in the next round of lessons.
Similarly, we also give you the option between two- and four-week classes. Choose the one that works best for you based on your own needs and preferences. Some people register for two-week lessons because they want to complete the program as soon as possible. If you're someone who doesn't enjoy intensive lessons or you simply can't fit two-week lessons in your schedule, the four-week option might fit your preferences better. Both courses offer the same amount of teaching hours and cover the same content, but the four-week version lets you study over a longer period of time.
There's a good possibility that you already spend a lot of your time sitting in traffic. If so, the last thing you probably want to do is add to your commute by traveling to and from phlebotomy lessons. Ready for some good news? Our phlebotomy certification training program is completely online. This means you never have to rush across town to attend study sessions. You're free to study from the comfort of your own home, at a local coffee shop, in the library, or anywhere else that you find comfortable. All you need is internet access and a computer or mobile device. Our Live Learning Platform uses tools like video chat and virtual whiteboards so that you're able to enjoy a collaborative learning experience that simulates in-person lessons. In fact, many people enjoy this aspect of the program because it combines real-time interactions with the convenience of self-study.
How Do I Get Started?
Finding the right phlebotomy training program isn't easy. You need to find a course that prepares you for your assessment while also helping you develop your professional skills. Because there are a number of different organizations out there that provide certification, you should also find a course that can prepare for your specific exam. It seems like an impossible endeavor, right? It doesn't have to be.
If you're looking for an engaging phlebotomy course that can help you set yourself up for professional success, we're here to help. Our courses combine the latest material with the most talented instructors, giving you the chance to benefit from a collaborative learning experience aimed at helping you learn how to become a successful phlebotomy technician. If you'd like to learn more, contact Varsity Tutors and speak with one of our educational consultants about the phlebotomy certification training program. We're here to answer any questions you have about the course so you're able to make an informed decision. When you decide to move forward, we'll place you in the next available course so that you can start preparing for your certification assessment as soon as possible. Call today!