Phlebotomy Certification
Just like any other field Phlebotomy (obtaining blood from veins for medical purposes) also requires certification. Certification is the process in which national organizations give certificates after judging the competence and skills of a person in a particular field. Although certification is optional for phlebotomists, it is often required by the employers. Certification increases chances of getting a good job with a good salary for Phlebotomists. The institutes for Phlebotomy training, schools and other authorized national associations give certificates to qualified people after they have completed a certain training course in Phlebotomy. Careers in health care industry are rapidly increasing. Hence the number of people seeking Phlebotomy certification is also increasing.
To get the certificate phlebotomists need to pass certain training courses. These training courses vary in time and syllabus from region to region. The phlebotomists have to pass the examination of phlebotomy according to the criteria of their region. In many regions no certification is needed and only training and practice in this field is required. But with the passage of time attending theory classes is becoming necessary. After learning theoretically, they do internship in some hospital, private clinic or related laboratories. The time period for phlebotomy training range from one-day training to six months training, depending on the qualification and the experience of people in some places. And in some institutes course length ranges from four months to twenty four months. There are vocational schools that offer short courses, and there are degree colleges that offer large courses. Although the courses vary from institute to institute and place to place, the course consists of the following topics:
- Knowledge of human body(anatomy and physiology)
- Information about human blood, its cells and other substances
- Blood obtaining techniques
- Laboratory working, handling the equipment of lab and other jobs
- Safety precautions
Besides these skills, the phlebotomists are also trained to deal with different patients and situations. They also learn about professional attitude and legal issues. If they are to provide home care services their courses also include the transportation of blood, and how it can be transferred to laboratories without contamination. The skill of sterilizing and cleaning the lab equipment is a part of their training.
Different people react differently to blood obtaining procedures. It is the duty of the phlebotomist to skillfully deal with them as the situation demand. They should briefly explain the procedure to the patients and encourage them. To label the obtained blood samples with patient history is also included in their duties. Some phlebotomists also help in analyzing the blood samples. All these skills are measured during certification tests.
Certified medical assistants are also hired to be phlebotomists.
As not much training is required in the field of phlebotomy, it is not a well paid job. But now a day the scope for Phlebotomists is expanding and there need is increasing in hospitals, clinics and other relative institutes. They are also hired to train other phlebotomists. And the Phlebotomists with certificates from valid institutes are given priority. That’s why the number of people pursuing phlebotomy as their profession is increasing.