To be a phlebotomist, there are four stages that you should pass. Getting certification is one of the stages which in a few states is strictly required including in California, Washington, Nevada and Louisiana. However, in some states, a phlebotomy is not required.
Since holding a certification is required, you may wonder whether being a phlebotomist only needs a certification or not. In some medical professions, you only need to get a certification to apply for the jobs. How about a phlebotomist?
Can You Apply for a Job With Just a Phlebotomy Certificate?
Since a phlebotomist will work through unique types of jobs that really need a bunch of skills, just holding a phlebotomy certificate without ever taking a phlebotomy class may be a bit hard for you to get a job as a phlebotomy.
However, a phlebotomy certification is not really required in most states in the United States. That means, though you are not holding a phlebotomy certificate, you may have a bigger chance to apply for a job as a phlebotomist.
A Phlebotomy certification can be mentioned as a supporting file that you can provide, so the HRD will consider you a lot. However, a phlebotomy certification is not totally necessary, but it will help the applicants to get employment more easily than non-certified candidates.
As far as we know, getting employment as a phlebotomist cannot just with holding a phlebotomy certificate. Ideally, you should take a phlebotomy course/ class where you can learn about the phlebotomy deeply.
Why Taking a Phlebotomy Class Is Important
To get a job as a phlebotomist, it’s important for you to take a phlebotomy class/ course. However, taking phlebotomy courses/ classes is highly recommended, as it’s such a way to launch yourself into a new career, regardless of a lack in a medical background or college experience. In this case, classes actually act as a fast catalyst, since most don’t take long to complete.
In general, the phlebotomy class will commonly have simple prerequisites that are very required of applicants. However, those are basically related to your personal health records and immunization.
You can also take a phlebotomy course/ class online, but online class does not have the important ‘hands-on’ element of physical phlebotomy training centers. Most phlebotomy classes will assist you get your Certified Phlebotomy Technician 1 Certificate (CPT 1). The certification aims to train you properly to do the job.
Aside from that, you can also select to pursue your National Phlebotomy Certification (NCCT) that provides a huge credibility boost that will lead to a preferable phlebotomist career.
A variety of phlebotomy education institutes actually offers additional phlebotomy-related classes that can range from venipuncture to blood draws and are commonly taken after the CPT1 certification class.
What Will You Learn In a Phlebotomy Class?
When taking an accredited phlebotomy class, you will learn everything to lead you to be a successful phlebotomist. It means the materials you learn will be narrowed down to solely bloodwork. In short, handling and dealing with emergencies will commonly be an essential part of any phlebotomy class.
Well, those useful emergency related skills will assist you be prepared from your first day on the job, if a usual thing occurs. Learning the proper contamination procedures is one of the most important in the phlebotomy field. Certainly, mastering those preventive skills is a requirement in any sector of phlebotomy, since it is very important to prevent infecting yourself and others.
Here’s a list of common subjects that you will learn in a phlebotomy class:
- Anatomy/Physiology.
On Anatomy/ Physiology subject, you will learn about the systems including circulatory, skeletal, lymphatic, respiratory, urinary and muscular.
- Blood/Cell Composition
On Blood/ Cell Composition, you will learn about the diseases and infections, and how they affect blood and cells.
- Blood Sampling Procedures
Learning blood sampling procedures is very essential. You will know the differences between a variety of venipuncture techniques, and what age groups require which method.
- CPR
It’s a very smart idea in the first place to be certified in CPR, since being a phlebotomist you will be in a situation where it is necessary.
- Lab Safety
Hands-on training will strengthen appropriate equipment handling techniques, with an emphasis on error prevention in the first place.
What Organizations Are For Phlebotomists?
It is known that only four states will require phlebotomists to hold a certification that will allow them to practice their profession easily. The four states that require you to have a certification are Louisiana, Washington, Nevada and California.
Certainly, there are a bunch of organizations that will issue the phlebotomy certificate, here are they:
- American Medical Technologist (AMT)
With AMT, you will get a certificate after taking either an oral or written exam. After taking a phlebotomy certificate with AMT, you may need to renew your certification every three years through CEU and re-examination is required.
2.American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
With the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), you should complete both an oral and written exam in order to get a license. After taking a phlebotomy certificate with ASCP, you may need to renew your certification every ten years through CEU as an obligatory requirement.
- American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians (ASPT)
With the American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians (ASPT), you will get the certificate after completing both a practical and written exam. To get a certificate with ASPT, an annual CEUS will be required to maintain certification.
- National Phlebotomy Association (NPA)
With the National Phlebotomy Association (NPA), you will obtain a certificate easily, as long as you pass either an oral or written exam.
- American Medical Technologists (AMT)
American Medical Technologists (AMT) is also providing the registered phlebotomy certification. To get a certificate with AMT, you may need to meet some requirements, including:
- Passing an accredited phlebotomy course in the last four years.
- Getting a cumulative 1040+ hours of experience as a phlebotomy technician in the last three years.
- Working as a health program instructor with at least three years of teaching experience.
- Paying a fee if you really have a phlebotomist certification from another organization
Okay, those are some organizations that provide the phlebotomy certification.
