How to Choose the Right Phlebotomist School near Sharon Pennsylvania

Choosing the right phlebotomy technician school near Sharon PA is an important first step toward a gratifying profession as a phlebotomist. It may seem like a difficult task to evaluate and compare each of the school options that are accessible to you. However it’s necessary that you do your due diligence to ensure that you obtain a quality education. In fact, a large number of students start the process by looking at 2 of the qualifiers that first come to mind, which are location and cost. Another option you may look into is whether to attend classes online or commute to an area campus. We’ll talk more about online classes later in this article. What you need to keep in mind is that there is a lot more to comparing phlebotomy training programs than finding the cheapest or the closest one. Other variables such as reputation and accreditation are also significant considerations and need to be part of your decision process also. Toward that end, we will supply a list of questions that you should ask each of the phlebotomy schools you are assessing to help you choose the best one for you. But prior to doing that, let’s address what a phlebotomist is and does, and then resume our discussion about online training.

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Should You Choose a Career as a Phlebotomy Tech?

First of all, few people probably know what a phlebotomy tech or phlebotomist is. The basic answer is a health care professional who draws blood from patients. We will go into more depth later. So naturally anyone who chooses this profession must be OK around blood and needles. And if you are anxious in hospitals or other Sharon PA medical environments, well this profession may not be the best choice for you. And then there are the patients. Phlebotomy Techs often work around anxious people who hate needles or having a blood sample drawn. And because most health care facilities are open 24 hours, you may be required to work weekends, nights and even on holidays. But if you don’t mind working with the blood and needles, and if you enjoy helping people and are patient and compassionate, this may be the right profession for you.

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Phlebotomy Technician Work Summary

A phlebotomist, or phlebotomy technician, collects blood samples from patients. While that is their principal function, there is in fact far more to their job description. Before collecting a blood sample, a phlebotomist must check that the instruments being employed are sterile and single use only. After collection, the sample must be correctly labeled with the patient’s data. Afterward, paperwork must be correctly completed to be able to track the sample from the point of collection through the laboratory screening process. The phlebotomist then delivers the blood to either an in-house lab or to an outside lab facility where it may be tested for such things as infectious diseases, pregnancy or blood type. A number of phlebotomists actually work in Sharon PA labs and are accountable for ensuring that samples are tested properly utilizing the highest quality assurance procedures. And if those weren’t sufficient duties, they may be required to train other phlebotomists in the drawing, delivery and follow-up process.

Where do Phlebotomists Practice?

The easiest answer is wherever patients are treated. Their workplaces are numerous and diverse, including Sharon PA medical clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, or blood centers. They may be charged to draw blood samples from patients of all ages, from infants or toddlers to seniors. Some phlebotomy techs, based on their training and their practice, specialize in collecting samples from a particular kind of patient. For instance, those practicing in an assisted living facility or nursing home would only be drawing blood from senior patients. If they are practicing in a maternity ward, they would be collecting blood from newborns and mothers exclusively. In contrast, phlebotomy technicians working in a general hospital environment would be collecting blood from a wide variety of patients and would work with new patients every day.

Phlebotomist Education, Certification and Licensing

There are essentially two types of programs that offer phlebotomist training, which are degree and certificate programs. The certificate program normally takes less than a year to finish and furnishes a basic education along with the training on how to draw blood. It offers the quickest route to becoming a phlebotomist. An Associate of Science Degree in Clinical Laboratory Science, even though it’s not exclusively a phlebotomy degree, will include training on becoming a phlebotomist. Offered at community and junior colleges, they normally require two years to finish. Bachelor’s Degrees are not as accessible and as a 4 year program furnish a more comprehensive foundation in lab sciences. When you have finished your training, you will no doubt want to get certified. Although not mandated in most states, most Sharon PA employers require certification prior to hiring technicians. Some of the principal certifying agencies include:

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

There are several states that do call for certification in order to practice as a phlebotomist, like Nevada and California. California and a few additional states even require licensing. So it’s important that you select a phlebotomy training program that not only offers a superior education, but also preps you for any licensing or certification examinations that you elect or are required to take.

Online Phlebotomy Colleges

To start with, let’s dispel one possible mistaken belief. You can’t receive all of your phlebotomy training online. A substantial part of the curriculum will be practical training and it will be carried out either in an on-campus lab or an approved healthcare facility. A large number of courses also require completion of an internship in order to graduate. However since the non-practical part of the training may be attended online, it could be a more convenient alternative for many Sharon PA students. As an additional benefit, a number of online colleges are more affordable than their on-campus counterparts. And some costs, such as those for commuting or textbooks, may be lessened as well. Just make sure that the online phlebotomist school you enroll in is accredited by a national or regional accrediting organization (more on accreditation to follow). With both the comprehensive clinical and online training, you can receive a quality education with this method of learning. If you are dedicated enough to learn at home, then obtaining your certificate or degree online might be the right choice for you.

Questions to Ask Phlebotomist Programs

Since you now have a basic idea about what it takes to become a phlebotomist, it’s time to initiate your due diligence process. You might have already chosen the kind of program you want to enroll in, whether it be for a degree or a certificate. As we previously mentioned, the location of the campus is significant if you will be commuting from Sharon PA as well as the tuition expense. Perhaps you have opted to enroll in an accredited phlebotomy online college. All of these decisions are a critical part of the process for picking a phlebotomy school or program. But they are not the only concerns when making your decision. Following are several questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are reviewing before making your final decision.

Is the Phlebotomist Program Specific to Pennsylvania? As previously mentioned, each state has its own requirements for practicing as a phlebotomy technician. Several states call for certification, while some others mandate licensing. Each has its own requirement regarding the minimum amount of practical training performed before working as a phlebotomist. As a result, you might need to pass a State Board, certification or licensing examination. Therefore it’s extremely important to select a phlebotomist program that meets the state specific requirements for Pennsylvania or the state where you will be working and readies you for all examinations you may be required to take.

Is the College Accredited? The phlebotomy school and program you enroll in should be accredited by a respected regional or national accrediting organization, such as the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). There are several advantages to graduating from an accredited school aside from a guarantee of a superior education. First, if your program is not accredited, you will not be able to sit for a certification exam administered by any of the previously listed certifying organizations. Next, accreditation will help in obtaining financial aid or loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Finally, earning a certificate or a degree from an accredited college can make you more attractive to potential employers in the Sharon PA job market.

What is the School’s Ranking? In numerous states there is little or no regulation of phlebotomy colleges, so there are some that are not of the highest quality. So along with accreditation, it’s important to check out the reputations of any colleges you are considering. You can begin by asking the schools for references from employers where they refer their graduates as part of their job assistance program. You can research internet school reviews and rating services and solicit the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. You can also check with a few Sharon PA clinics or hospitals that you may be interested in working for and find out if they can offer any recommendations. As a closing thought, you can check with the Pennsylvania school licensing authority and ask if any complaints have been submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.

Is Plenty of Training Provided? To begin with, check with the state regulator where you will be practicing to learn if there are any minimum requirements for the length of training, both clinical and classroom. At a minimum, any phlebotomy program that you are considering should provide at least 40 hours of classroom training (the majority require 120) and 120 hours of practical training. Anything lower than these minimums might indicate that the program is not comprehensive enough to furnish sufficient training.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Find out from the colleges you are considering if they have an internship program in partnership with area medical facilities. They are the optimal means to receive hands-on practical training often not provided on campus. As an additional benefit, internships can assist students establish contacts within the local Sharon PA health care community. And they look good on resumes also.

Is Job Placement Support Provided? Getting your first phlebotomist job will be much easier with the assistance of a job placement program. Inquire if the colleges you are looking at offer assistance and what their job placement rate is. If a college has a high rate, signifying they place the majority of their students in positions, it’s an indication that the school has both an excellent reputation together with a large network of professional contacts within the Sharon PA health care community.

Are Classes Offered to Fit Your Schedule? And last, it’s crucial to make sure that the final program you pick offers classes at times that are compatible with your active schedule. This is especially true if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Sharon PA, make certain they are offered at those times. Additionally, if you can only attend part-time, confirm it is an option also. Even if you have decided to attend online, with the clinical training requirement, make certain those hours can also be completed within your schedule. And find out what the make-up protocol is should you need to miss any classes as a result of illness or emergencies.

Blood Draw Training Sharon PA

Phlebotomy Certification Training Sharon Pennsylvania

Making sure that you choose the ideal phlebotomy training is a critical first step toward your success in this rewarding healthcare career position. As we have covered in this article, there are several factors that contribute toward the selection of a premium program. Phlebotomy certificate or degree programs are available in a number of academic institutions, including community or junior colleges, trade schools, and colleges and universities that offer an extensive array of programs in healthcare and medical sciences. Program options can vary slightly from state to state as every state has its own criteria when it pertains to phlebotomist training, certification and licensing. The most critical point is that you must diligently research and compare each school prior to making your ultimate choice. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Phlebotomy Certification Training and to get more information regarding Find Phlebotomy Training.  However, by asking the questions that we have presented, you will be able to fine tune your choices so that you can pick the ideal phlebotomy school for you. And with the appropriate training, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a phlebotomy technician in Sharon PA.

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