How to Choose the Best Phlebotomy Technician School near Harriman Tennessee
Picking the right phlebotomist school near Harriman TN is an important first step toward a fulfilling career as a phlebotomist. It may seem like a difficult task to investigate and compare all of the training alternatives that are available to you. Nevertheless it’s necessary that you do your due diligence to make sure that you obtain a superior education. In reality, most potential students start the process by considering two of the qualifiers that initially come to mind, which are location and cost. Another factor you might look into is whether to attend online classes or commute to a local campus. We’ll review a bit more about online schools later in this article. What you need to keep in mind is that there is far more to checking out phlebotomy training programs than locating the closest or the cheapest one. Other factors including accreditation and reputation are also important considerations and must be part of your decision process as well. Toward that end, we will provide a list of questions that you need to ask each of the phlebotomy schools you are evaluating to help you pick the best one for you. But before we do that, let’s address what a phlebotomist is and does, and then resume our conversation about online schools.
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Should You Go to School to Become a Phlebotomy Technician?
Right out of the gate, few people are likely to know what a phlebotomist or phlebotomy technician is. The basic answer is a medical professional who draws blood from patients. We will provide more details later. So of course anyone who selects this profession must be comfortable with blood and needles. And if you are nervous in hospitals or other Harriman TN medical facilities, well this profession probably is not the best choice for you. And now let’s talk about the patients. Phlebotomy Techs tend to work with nervous people who hate needles or having a blood sample drawn. And because many medical facilities are open 24 hours, you may be expected to work weekends, nights and, you guessed it even on holidays. But if you can handle the hours and the needles and blood, and if you enjoy helping people and are compassionate and very patient, this may be the right job for you.
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Phlebotomy Technician Career Summary
A phlebotomist, or phlebotomy technician, draws blood from patients. Although that is their primary responsibility, there is in fact much more to their job description. Before drawing a blood sample, a phlebotomist has to check that the instruments being utilized are sterile and single use only. Following the collection, the sample must be properly labeled with the patient’s information. Next, paperwork must be properly filled out to be able to track the sample from the point of collection through the lab screening process. The phlebotomist then delivers the blood to either an an outside lab facility or an in-house lab where it can be tested for such things as pregnancy, infectious diseases or blood type. Some phlebotomists actually work in Harriman TN laboratories and are in charge of making certain that samples are tested correctly utilizing the strictest quality control procedures. And if those weren’t enough responsibilities, they might be asked to train other phlebotomists in the drawing, transport and follow-up process.
Where are Phlebotomy Techs Employed?
The most basic answer is wherever patients are treated. Their work places are numerous and diverse, such as Harriman TN medical clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, or blood centers. They can be charged to draw blood samples from patients of of every age, from babies or young children to senior citizens. Some phlebotomy techs, based on their training and their practice, specialize in drawing blood from a certain kind of patient. For example, those working in a nursing home or assisted living facility would solely be collecting blood from senior patients. If they are working in a maternity ward, they would be drawing blood from newborns and mothers solely. In contrast, phlebotomists working in a general hospital setting would be drawing samples from a wide range of patients and would collect samples from new patients on a daily basis.
Phlebotomy Technician Training, Licensing and Certification
There are essentially 2 types of programs that furnish phlebotomy training, which are certificate and degree programs. The certificate program generally takes less than a year to complete and provides a basic education along with the training on how to draw blood. It provides the quickest method to becoming a phlebotomist. An Associate of Science Degree in Clinical Laboratory Science, although not exclusively a phlebotomy degree, will include training to become a phlebotomist. Available at junior and community colleges, they typically require two years to finish. Bachelor’s Degrees are not as available and as a four year program furnish a more extensive background in lab sciences. Once you have finished your training, you will probably want to get certified. Although not required in most states, a number of Harriman TN employers require certification prior to employing technicians. A few of the primary certifying organizations include:
- National Phlebotomy Association
- National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
- American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
- American Medical Technologists (AMT)
There are a few states that do require certification prior to practicing as a phlebotomy tech, including Nevada and California. California and a few other states even require licensing. So it’s important that you choose a phlebotomist training program that not only furnishes a quality education, but also preps you for any certification or licensing exams that you are required or elect to take.
Phlebotomist Online Certificates and Degrees
To start with, let’s dispel one possible mistaken belief. You can’t get all of your phlebotomist training online. A good portion of the curriculum will be clinical training and it will be carried out either in an approved healthcare facility or an on-campus lab. Numerous courses also require completion of an internship in order to graduate. But since the non-clinical component of the training can be attended online, it may be a more convenient alternative for some Harriman TN students. As an added benefit, some online programs are more affordable than their on-campus counterparts. And some expenditures, including those for commuting or textbooks, may be lowered also. Just make sure that the online phlebotomist program you enroll in is accredited by a national or regional accrediting organization (more on accreditation to follow). With both the extensive clinical and online training, you can obtain a quality education with this approach to learning. If you are disciplined enough to learn at home, then obtaining your certificate or degree online may be the ideal choice for you.
What to Ask Phlebotomy Schools
Now that you have a general idea about what it takes to become a phlebotomy tech, it’s time to begin your due diligence process. You might have already chosen the type of program you want to enroll in, whether it be for a certificate or a degree. As we previously mentioned, the location of the college is relevant if you will be commuting from Harriman TN as well as the cost of tuition. Maybe you have decided to enroll in an accredited phlebotomist online college. Each of these decisions are an important component of the procedure for choosing a phlebotomy program or school. But they are not the sole considerations when arriving at your decision. Below we have provided several questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are reviewing before making your final selection.
Is the Phlebotomy Program Specific to Your State? As earlier discussed, each state has its own regulations for practicing as a phlebotomist. Several states call for certification, while a few others require licensing. Every state has its own requirement regarding the minimum amount of practical training completed before practicing as a phlebotomist. As a result, you might have to pass a State Board, certification or licensing exam. Therefore it’s extremely important to enroll in a phlebotomy program that satisfies the state specific requirements for Tennessee or the state where you will be working and prepares you for all examinations you may have to take.
Is the Program Accredited? The phlebotomy school and program you choose should be accredited by a respected regional or national accrediting agency, such as the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). There are many benefits to graduating from an accredited school in addition to a guarantee of a quality education. To begin with, if your program has not received accreditation, you will not qualify to take a certification exam offered by any of the previously listed certifying organizations. Also, accreditation will help in obtaining loans or financial assistance, which are typically unavailable for non-accredited colleges. Finally, graduating from an accredited college can make you more desirable to future employers in the Harriman TN job market.
What is the Program’s Ranking? In many states there is little or no regulation of phlebotomist colleges, so there are those that are not of the highest quality. So along with accreditation, it’s imperative to investigate the reputations of all colleges you are looking at. You can start by asking the schools for references from employers where they refer their students as part of their job assistance program. You can research online school reviews and rating services and solicit the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. You can even contact a few Harriman TN hospitals or clinics that you may have an interest in working for and find out if they can offer any recommendations. As a final thought, you can check with the Tennessee school licensing authority and ask if any grievances have been filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
Is Plenty of Training Included? First, check with the state regulator where you will be working to find out if there are any minimum requirements for the length of training, both classroom and practical. At a minimum, any phlebotomy program that you are looking at should provide at least 40 hours of classroom training (most require 120) and 120 hours of clinical training. Anything less than these minimums might indicate that the program is not comprehensive enough to offer adequate training.
Are Internships Provided? Ask the colleges you are reviewing if they have an internship program in collaboration with area health care facilities. They are the ideal way to get hands-on clinical training typically not provided on campus. As an added benefit, internships can help students establish contacts within the local Harriman TN medical community. And they are a plus on resumes as well.
Is Job Placement Support Provided? Getting your first phlebotomist position will be much easier with the support of a job placement program. Find out if the colleges you are looking at offer assistance and what their job placement percentage is. If a college has a high rate, signifying they place the majority of their students in jobs, it’s an indication that the program has both a good reputation together with a large network of professional contacts within the Harriman TN health care community.
Are Classes Conveniently Scheduled? Finally, it’s important to verify that the ultimate program you choose offers classes at times that are compatible with your busy lifestyle. This is particularly true if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Harriman TN, make sure they are offered at those times. Additionally, if you can only attend part-time, confirm it is an option as well. And if you have decided to attend online, with the clinical training requirement, make sure those hours can also be fulfilled within your schedule. And ask what the make-up policy is in case you have to miss any classes because of emergencies or illness.
Accredited Phlebotomy Classes Harriman TN
Weekend Drawing Blood Courses Near Me Harriman Tennessee
Making sure that you choose the ideal phlebotomist training is an important first step toward your success in this fulfilling health care field. As we have discussed in this article, there are multiple factors that go into the selection of a superior school. Phlebotomist training programs are found in a variety of educational institutions, such as community or junior colleges, vocational schools, and colleges and universities that offer a wide range of programs in healthcare and medical sciences. Course offerings can differ slightly across the country as each state has its own mandates when it pertains to phlebotomy training, certification and licensing. The most critical point is that you need to carefully evaluate and compare each program before making your final choice. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Weekend Drawing Blood Courses Near Me and to get more information regarding Accelerated Phlebotomy Schools. However, by asking the questions that we have furnished, you will be able to narrow down your options so that you can pick the right phlebotomist program for you. And with the appropriate education, you can achieve your goal of becoming a phlebotomy technician in Harriman TN.
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Harriman, Tennessee
Harriman is located at 35°55′43″N 84°33′21″W / 35.92861°N 84.55583°W / 35.92861; -84.55583 (35.928585, -84.555700).[6] The city is situated along the physiographic boundary between the Tennessee Valley region and the Cumberland Plateau region, with the Plateau—namely its Walden Ridge escarpment—rising several hundred feet above the city to the west. The Emory River enters the Tennessee Valley just west of Harriman at a pass known as Emory Gap, and forms an oxbow bend that surrounds the original section of Harriman.
U.S. Route 27, known as Roane Street in Harriman, runs north-to-south through the city along the base of Walden Ridge. Interstate 40 runs east-to-west through the city's southern section. Harriman's southwestern boundary, which it shares with Rockwood, is located along US-27 about a half-mile south of the road's intersection with I-40. The city's southeastern boundary runs along Pine Ridge, which overlooks the Kingston Fossil Plant. Harriman's northern boundary is near US-27's split with State Highway 61.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.6 square miles (27.4 km2), of which 10.4 square miles (26.9 km2) is land and 0.19 square miles (0.5 km2), or 1.86%, is water.[5]
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