Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts offers two Continuing Education Courses that are not accredited and are intended for professionals that brings participants up to date in knowledge and skills.
Phlebotomy Technician Course
The course combines 40-hours classroom instruction with a 40-hours off-site clinical internship to provide participants with a comprehensive learning experience. Lectures include but are not limited to Anatomy and Medical Terminology pertaining to the circulatory system, specimen collection, risk factors, complications and quality assurance in specimen collection.
The Phlebotomy Technician course is approved by the California Department of Health Services - Laboratory Field Services.
Enrollment
Phlebotomy Technician Course
To be considered for admission into the Phlebotomy Technician continuing education course, the applicant must meet the following criteria:
- Applicant must have graduated from high school, or earned a GED and be at least 18 years of age.
- Applicant must pay all applicable fees, as per the current published fee schedule or make other payment arrangements acceptable to the school.
- Applicant must complete a Scholastic Level Exam (SLE) with a score of at least 16.
- Applicant must complete the enrollment agreement.
IV Therapy/Blood Withdrawal Course
To register for the IV/Blood Withdrawal Course, the student must provide proof of one of the following requirements:
- A current and valid California LVN license,
- Senior standing in a California Vocational Nurse Program,
- A graduate of a California Vocational Nurse program,
- nterim Permit status for California LVN licensure.
The student must also pay the applicable fees and complete any necessary forms through the Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts website (www.gurnick.edu).
Course Information
Phlebotomy Technician
10 WEEKS
80 CLOCK HOURS
5 QUARTER CREDIT HOURS
COURSE COMPLETION CERTIFICATE
Course Description
The course combines forty (40) hours classroom instruction with a forty (40) hours off-site internship to provide a comprehensive learning experience. Lectures include but are not limited to the anatomy and medical terminology pertaining to the circulatory system, specimen collection, risk factors, complications, and quality assurance in specimen collection. Practical instruction provides hands-on training in venipuncture with procedures verified through a skills check-off system. The forty (40) hour internship includes at minimum fifty (50) successful venipunctures and ten (10) skin punctures.
In order to work as a Phlebotomist in California, you will be required to pass a licensing examination administered by the Department of Health Services in California. Completion of this course does not automatically enable a graduate to work as a Phlebotomist.
Completion of this course will enable participants to sit for the national exam and after passing it to apply for the California license. Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts Phlebotomist course is accredited by California Department of Health Services, Fields Services.
Course Goals and Objectives
- To produce competent Phlebotomy Technicians for the medical community.
- To stimulate a life-long pursuit of education in the medical field.
- To develop interpersonal skills in communicating with the patient, medical and administrative individuals.
- To provide educational opportunities in phlebotomy to members of the community.
Course Outline
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Course Number
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Title
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Clock Hours
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Quarter Credit Hours
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|
PHL 100
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Phlebotomy
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40
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4
|
|
PHL 110L
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Internship
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40
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1
|
|
|
|
TOTAL 80 5
Course Information, Length and Schedule
Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts Phlebotomy Technician course provides a library and classrooms that are equipped with modern audio-visual teaching aids, textbooks and journals, and anatomical charts and models.
The Phlebotomy Technician course Instructor to Participant ratio is 1:15 in lecture, laboratory and internship.
The course is eight (8) hours per week attending didactic training, and eight (8) hours per week receiving clinical instruction in patient care areas. Classes are held two (2) times a week from 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM. The course is forty (40) hours of didactic instruction and forty (40) hours of internship education allowing application of lecture topics in practical use. Normal completion time for this course is ten (10) weeks excluding any holidays and vacation times.
Phlebotomy Technician Course Descriptions
Phlebotomy Didactic – PHL 100 – 4 Quarter Credit Hours
The didactic portion of Phlebotomy course will introduce the history of Phlebotomy and brief overview of Anatomy (Anatomic position, body planes, body functions, body organization, and body systems). Participants will be introduced with principals of infection control, basic patient care and medical terminology. Participants will spend time to identify the correct technique and equipment to facilitate the venipuncture process as well as procedural errors that lead to failure when drawing blood. Participants will learn complications and procedural errors associated with blood collection. Participants will be involved in the discussion of risk factors & appropriate responses to complications that may arise from phlebotomy. This course will include the material regarding the transportation of specimens to the laboratory and discussion of problems with requisitions, specimen transport and processing. Materials about national standards, regulatory agencies, and quality assurance in phlebotomy will conclude the course.
Phlebotomy Practicum – PHL 100L – 1 Quarter Credit Hours
After successful passing the didactic portion of the course all participants will start the practical course forty (40) hours in a clinical setting including fifty (50) venipunctures and ten (10) skin punctures. Each practical session is four (4) hours in length in a laboratory / clinical setting. During practical training all participants will have the opportunity to assess real patients (blood collection from patients of various ages, health and weight), work with professional equipment, participate in specimen processing after collection, centrifugation, be trained in the post puncture care, and be instructed of disposal of waste and sharp. After practical training all participants must pass a practical exam.
IV Therapy/Blood Withdrawal Course
1 WEEK
36 CLOCK HOURS
COURSE COMPLETION CERTIFICATE
Course Description
This is a 36 hour course consisting of 27 hours of lecture and nine (9) hours of clinical experience. The course is designed to enable the Licensed Vocational Nurse to safely initiate and maintain intravenous therapy in the clinical setting. LVNs successfully completing the course will be certified by the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technician Examiners to initiate and superimpose intravenous fluids and blood withdrawal.
Course Goals and Objectives:
- Recognize the role of the Registered Nurse and the Licensed Vocational Nurse in IV Therapy and Blood Withdrawal.
- List factors that affect flow rates of IV solutions.
- Describe proper use of specific IV therapy, arterial puncture and blood withdrawal equipment.
- Initiate IV therapy, blood withdrawal, arterial puncture utilizing nursing precautions or patient safety by:
- Preparing the patient psychologically
- Explaining the rationale for blood withdrawal, arterial punctures, and venipunctures
- Differentiating between the types of skin puncture, venipunctures and arterial devices and their appropriate uses
- Differentiating between skin puncture, arterial puncture, and venipunctures
- Distinguishing between types of intravenous solutions and their appropriateness
- Preparing equipment properly and aseptically
- Selecting and correctly preparing the most appropriate vein for venipunctures, blood withdrawal or arterial puncture
- Preparing the site in a manner which reduces the chance of infection
- Performing venipunctures utilizing direct or indirect method
- Performing blood withdrawal utilizing skin puncture (vacutainer, butterfly, syringe), arterial puncture or venipunctures
- Dressing site according to policy
- Securing and immobilizing device appropriately and safely
- Regulating flow rate and fluid accurately
- Documenting on medical record
- Recognize complications related to blood withdrawal, arterial punctures, and venipunctures
- Recognize local and systemic reactions related to intravenous therapy
- List the nursing measures taken to reduce local and systemic reactions
- List five reasons to discontinue and restart IV device
- List the cause and differentiate clinical symptoms of hypovolemia and hypervolemia
- List the cause and differentiate clinical symptoms of electrolyte imbalances
- Identify the role of IV therapy and pH balance
- List the causes of pH imbalances
- Differentiate actions, dosages, side effects, and nursing implications of specified intravenous solutions
- Correlate the IV fluid container label with the name of the solution as commonly ordered
- List the usual components of Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)
- Identify nursing precautions relating to TPN
- Recognize safety techniques utilized in blood transfusions
- Recognize types of transfusion reactions
- List nursing actions taken when a blood transfusion occurs
- Examine the differences between techniques used in adult and pediatric IV therapy
- Discuss situations related to IV therapy and legal implications
- Describe appropriate ways of minimizing legal risks in IV therapy and blood withdrawal practice
- Identify the safety precautions in regards to administering IV fluids, withdrawing blood and testing for adequate circulation pertaining to arterial puncture site
Course Outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Discuss the structure and function of veins
- Identify the names and the locations of the veins most suitable for phlebotomy and cannulation/venipuncture.
- Assemble equipment and supplies needed to collect blood and for cannulation/venipuncture and discuss the correct use of each.
- Demonstrate the steps in performing blood collection and cannulation/venipuncture procedure.
- Assess techniques and equipment used to minimize biohazard exposure in blood collection and cannulation/venipuncture.
- Evaluate procedural errors in blood collection and cannulation/venipuncture and discuss remedies for each.
- Differentiate complications associated with blood collection and cannulation/venipuncture and their effect on the quality of laboratory results.
Course Completion Certification
At the completion of the course, the LVN who satisfactorily completes the course will receive a certificate of completion*. The certificate will include the course title, date of completion, licensee’s name, address, telephone number, and license number and provider code issued by the board. The licensee is advised to retain the certificate in a secure location. After completion of the course, a copy of the certificate will be submitted to the board and the licensee will be listed as certified in intravenous therapy and blood withdrawal.
*For non-licensees, the certificate will be issued once California licensure is provided to school.
Course Outline
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Course Number
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Title
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Clock Hours
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VN 500
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Intravenous Therapy/Blood Withdrawal Certification For Licensed Vocational Nurses
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36
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|
|
TOTAL 36
Course Information, Length and Schedule
Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts IV Therapy/Blood Withdrawal course provides a library and classrooms that are equipped with modern audio-visual teaching aids, textbooks and journals, and anatomical charts and models.
The IV Therapy/Blood Withdrawal course Instructor to Participant ratio is 1:15 in lecture and clinical practicum.
The course is three (3) consecutive days of nine (9) hours of didactic training on the theory behind the practice and principles of intravenous therapy and blood withdrawal within the scope of practice for Licensed Vocational Nurses in the state of California, and one (1) nine (9) hour day of clinical practicum in the clinical skills lab setting in which each student must complete a minimum of three (3) individually supervised successful venipunctures and three (3) individually supervised skin punctures (capillary blood withdrawal) on live human subjects. Classes are held four (4) times in a week from 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM.
Normal completion time for this course is one (1) week excluding any holidays and vacation times.
IV Therapy/Blood Withdrawal Course Description
Intravenous Therapy/Blood Withdrawal Certification For Licensed Vocational Nurses – VN 500 – 36 Clock Hours
This is a 36 hour course consisting of 27 hours of lecture and nine (9) hours of clinical experience. The course is designed to enable the Licensed Vocational Nurse to safely initiate and maintain intravenous therapy in the clinical setting. LVNs successfully completing the course will be certified by the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technician Examiners to initiate and superimpose intravenous fluids and blood withdrawal. |