While all doctors, nurses and technicians in the medical profession
are well trained in the practices of drawing blood from the body for routine tests,
phlebotomists are considered to be the pros in this field. They know exactly
how they should draw blood samples very easily without causing any discomfort
to a patient. Because their profession is to deal with blood samples and specimens,
most of the professional phlebotomists require phlebotomy training and
certification. In the course of phlebotomy training, candidates are taught how
to draw samples and use needles properly. Besides, they are also trained to
give due importance to the health of patients and their concerns.
Academics of Phlebotomy
Study
There are total 5 distinct areas of phlebotomy study that a student
has to master before he can become a certified phlebotomy technician. The 5
major areas include:
· needle technique
· human anatomy
· medical safety
· record-keeping
· patient
rapport
These skills are extremely important for the profession as
these will help in ensuring the comfort of patients and safeguard the integrity
of samples too. It is a sign of ensuring good health and overall well-being of
patients as well as phlebotomists.
Materials for Phlebotomy
Training
Apart from the academic experience and training, phlebotomy students
should also obtain experience in using different pieces of equipments, such as
syringes of different sizes, bio-hazardous waste containers, dermal puncture
equipments, vacuum tubes, bio-hazardous spill kits, bandages, tapes,
tourniquets, blood culture bottles and locking arm rests.
Different Programs
There are different programs for phlebotomy training, just
like any other medical profession. Phlebotomists must obtain an associate
degree course of 2 years or a bachelor’s degree for 4 years in phlebotomy. There
are several options for vocational training offered at several community
hospitals, colleges and private facilities, which allow students to receive phlebotomy
training within a year, or less.
Qualifications for Phlebotomy
Training
There are certain qualifications that have been taken into consideration
by states. Most states need that phlebotomist-in-training must complete 25
venipunctures, which means blood samples taken from the vein), 5 capillary
draws or blood samples taken from ear, finger or any other part of the body to
test the level of blood sugar. There are some states that require more than 50
venipunctures too. Therefore, the qualification criteria depend entirely on the
residing state.
Examination and Considerations
It is very important to qualify the National Exam of Phlebotomy
with good marks. In order to become a certified phlebotomist it is not just
good enough to undergo training. It also requires a candidate to go through the
exanimation that will determine the final assessment. This examination is
offered once in every month at different institutions all over the United
States of America.
There are different types of training schools, offering varied
phlebotomy training programs. One has to understand the specifications of these
programs and choose the best to meet the requirement. Phlebotomy study will
include e classroom courses, laboratory courses and hands-on clinical courses. Only
eminent medical training schools can offer the best courses.