In the medical field, a phlebotomist is an entry-level medical professional that works to draw blood samples from patients for testing. This profession works in testing laboratories, public and private hospital systems, assisted living facilities and other clinical settings.
In New York, United Stated, being a Phlebotomist is not required to hold the certification. The certification aims to allow this profession to practice their profession. You may wonder how long it takes to be a Phlebotomist in New York. To know the information about it, let’s dive into our article below!
How Long Does It Take to Become a Phlebotomist in New York?
Depending on the education program and whether a student pursues national certification, the process of becoming a Phlebotomist will take a year or less to complete. Since a few states require you to hold the certification, it may take the process longer.
Depending upon the school program and types where the students enroll, the education program of Phlebotomists will take from as little as eight weeks to less than a year to complete.
Generally, about two-thirds of phlebotomy training will be in the classroom and one third will be spent in practical training through externships and internship. In this case, the phlebotomy training will include physiology, anatomy, medical terminology and hands-on training.
For the programs at vocational schools, it may be faster, while those at community colleges may take longer. However, completing both the clinical and the instructional hours of a program is very important to get a certificate or diploma and actually finding employment.
The national certification is not absolutely necessary, but it will help the students get employment as quickly as possible. The national certification may take several months or more to finish, depending on how prepared a student is for the exam and how motivated they are to seek certification. But, there will be time limitations as to when the students should complete a program and still sit for national certification.
Since the certification is really required in only a few states, it may be possible for you to work as a phlebotomist in less than one year, especially when the student enrolls in one of the faster programs.
What Is the Job Description of a Phlebotomist?
Being a phlebotomist means you will work with a wide variety of people and to draw blood at hospitals and healthcare facilities or even through unique types of jobs. Some phlebotomists may go from home to home collecting blood samples from life insurance applicants.
Other phlebotomists may also draw blood at clinics to remove or diagnose medical conditions. It is known that some phlebotomists also work at blood banks and are tasked with keeping blood donors comfortable, safe and also fun while they donate their blood to save other lives.
In the case of collecting blood. A phlebotomist primarily uses a procedure that is known as venipuncture where a vein is punctured to collect blood. Certainly, the procedures to do venipuncture safely and correctly will be learned in a phlebotomy program, so the students should understand what they have to do to protect themselves.
In this case, accuracy and safety are very important skills for being a phlebotomist. Some patients may feel an uncomfortable experience with blood draw. So, a phlebotomist should be calm and compassionate.
Aside from drawing blood, a phlebotomist will regularly perform those functions, including:
- Comforting anxious or nervous patients
- Explaining blood draw procedures to patients
- Helping the patients who have adverse reactions to blood draws
- Managing the chain of possession of samples
- Protecting the integrity of paperwork trails
- Labeling sample properly
- Doing transfusions
- Collaborating with nurses, doctors, patient management staff and other medical technicians
What Type of Skills Should You Have To Be A Phlebotomist?
There are a bunch of additional skills that you should have in order to be a phlebotomist. Here are they:
- Organization: A phlebotomist should be responsible to maintain a sterile and organized workplace.
- Attention to detail: A phlebotomist has to pay attention to sample amounts, sample tracking, sample labeling and data input.
- Soft skills: A successful phlebotomist will use interpersonal skills such as empathy, verbal and nonverbal communication and patience to provide good patient experiences.
- Hand-eye coordination: a phlebotomist should have good coordination and steady hands to perform smooth blood draws and minimize patient discomfort.
How to Become A Phlebotomist?
A lot of people may want to know how to be a phlebotomist. Thankfully, we will show you the step-by-step to be a phlebotomist, here are they:
Step 1: Complete high school (four years)
In order to be accepted into phlebotomy programs, you must have a high school diploma or a GED. As we know, most programs can be entered after graduating from high school. You may need to take some courses in science, health and psychology to assist prepare them for additional studies.
Step 2: Complete an accredited phlebotomy program
A phlebotomy program will typically take a year or less to complete. The graduates will receive a certificate or diploma. However, those programs that are usually available through community colleges and vocational schools include physiology, medical terminology and anatomy.
Step 3: Pursue Professional Phlebotomy Certification
If you are a resident of one of the states including California, Nevada, Washington and Louisiana, you may need to hold a certification to be a phlebotomist in a hospital or healthcare facility.
To get a certificate, you may need to complete a phlebotomy education course, hold a current CPR education, have graduated from high school or have obtained a GED and also complete the required clinical training either with a number of venipunctures or a required number of on the job training hours.
Step 4: Maintain certification
To maintain certification, it requires you to pay an annual fee for completion of continuing education. However, maintaining certification will demonstrate that a professional is dedicated to have met knowledge standards set by a third-party agency and maintain quality work on an ongoing basis.
Okay, those are the steps that you should pass to be a phlebotomist. Are you interested in becoming a phlebotomist? If so, it’s a great time for you to start pursuing your career. Good Luck!!!
