Phlebotomist Licensing
Date: October 11, 2018
Phlebotomists are allied health care professionals trained to collect a patient’s blood or other body specimens. They form an essential part of the clinical laboratory team. They work in hospitals or clinics under the supervision of medical technologists. When it comes to phlebotomist licensing, they are certified by several authorized bodies.
Some of the organizations dealing with phlebotomist licensing and certification include the American Medical technologists, the American Association of Medical Personnel, and the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). The ASCP has got the strictest requirements for phlebotomist licensing and certification. The National Health career Association offers certification for Phlebotomy Technician apart from certificates for Clinical Medical Assistants and Patient Care Technicians, among others.
You can always visit such organizations’ online resources and get to know more for those of you who want more detailed information on phlebotomist licensing. For instance, the National Health career Association certification is available to individuals who have earned more than two years of experience as part of a home study exam. Such bits of information can help you in getting your phlebotomist licensing or certification. In certain other countries, such as the UK, no special certification is required for phlebotomists.
Training is often on the job. Similarly, in New Zealand again, phlebotomists must have a high school degree with all the other skills being taught on the job. In such instances, there is no question of phlebotomist licensing involved. You can always become a phlebotomist by picking up skills on the job. However, this is not the case with most phlebotomists training anywhere between four months to one year in a community college or trade school or a career center.
The training usually involves a clinical rotation in a hospital. After gaining sufficient on-the-job experience, they become eligible for phlebotomist licensing. As part of such courses, phlebotomists are typically taught anatomy, legal aspects of blood collection, blood collection techniques, and standard precautions. This apart, they are also trained in interpersonal skills since interacting with patients forms a significant part of their job.
Generally speaking, the courses which lead to phlebotomist licensing incorporate a combination of theory and practical classes. Students are provided with hands-on training in specimen collection and other phlebotomy techniques. One can visit numerous online resources that can equip you with at least the basics of obtaining a phlebotomist licensing.
This is important since different states enforce new guidelines at other points in time. For instance, in 2003, new approaches came into effect in California, which requires all practicing phlebotomists to obtain a license issued by the state’s Department of Healthcare Services.
Only by following the procedures of the state’s department of health services can practicing phlebotomists obtain their licensing. One should always be aware of the latest happenings in phlebotomist licensing for these very reasons.
