Phlebotomist Classes
How to Choose the Right One Near Georgetown Texas 

Perhaps the most important decision you must make to enter the fulfilling healthcare profession of phlebotomy is to select the best phlebotomy training near Georgetown TX. It may seem like a difficult task to evaluate and compare each of the school options that are available to you. Nevertheless it's important that you perform your due diligence to make certain that you get a superior education. More often than not the two requirements that initially come to mind for student applicants are the location of the school and the cost of tuition. Whether you will commute to classes or attend them online is another consideration as well. We'll discuss a bit more about online classes later in this article. So when evaluating phlebotomy training courses, location and cost shouldn’t be the only parameters you are looking at. Finding out if the program is accredited or if the school has a job placement program should also be part of your evaluation process. Toward that end, we will provide a list of questions that you need to ask each of the phlebotomy schools you are reviewing to help you pick the best one for you. But before we do that, let's address what a phlebotomist is and does, and afterwards resume our conversation about online schools.

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Where are Phlebotomists Employed?

The easiest answer is wherever there are patients. Their workplaces are numerous and diverse, such as Georgetown TX medical clinics, hospitals, long-term care facilities, or blood centers. They can be assigned to draw blood samples from patients of of every age, from babies or toddlers to seniors. A number of phlebotomy techs, based on their training and their practice, specialize in collecting samples from a specific kind of patient. For example, those practicing in an assisted living facility or nursing home would exclusively be collecting blood from older patients. If they are practicing in a maternity ward, they would be collecting blood from newborns and mothers solely. On the other hand, phlebotomy technicians working in a general hospital setting would be drawing blood from a wide range of patients and would work with different patients each day.

Phlebotomy Education, Certification and Licensing

There are basically two types of programs that offer phlebotomist training, which are certificate and degree programs. The certificate program typically takes less than a year to finish and offers a general education along with the training on how to draw blood. It offers the fastest method to becoming a phlebotomy tech. An Associate of Science Degree in Clinical Laboratory Science, although not specifically a phlebotomist degree, will include training to become a phlebotomy tech. Offered at community and junior colleges, they typically take two years to finish. Bachelor's Degrees are less accessible and as a 4 year program provide a more comprehensive background in lab sciences. Once you have completed your training, you will no doubt want to be certified. Although not mandated in most states, many Georgetown TX employers look for certification prior to hiring technicians. Some of the primary certifying organizations include:

• National Phlebotomy Association
• National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
• American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
• American Medical Technologists (AMT)

There are several states that do call for certification in order to practice as a phlebotomist, including Nevada and California. California and a handful of other states even require licensing. So it's essential that you pick a phlebotomist training program that not only offers a superior education, but also prepares you for any certification or licensing examinations that you are required or elect to take.

Online Phlebotomist Schools

First, let's resolve one likely mistaken belief. You can't receive all of your phlebotomy training online. A significant component of the program of studies will be clinical training and it will be performed either in an on-campus lab or an approved healthcare facility. A large number of courses also require completion of an internship prior to graduation. But since the non-clinical component of the training may be accessed online, it can be a more practical option for many Georgetown TX students. As an additional benefit, many online colleges are less expensive than their on-campus competitors. And some costs, such as those for commuting or textbooks, may be minimized as well. Just make sure that the online phlebotomist school you choose is accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency (more on accreditation later). With both the comprehensive clinical and online training, you can obtain a quality education with this method of learning. If you are disciplined enough to study at home, then earning your degree or certificate online may be the best option for you.

Questions to Ask Phlebotomy Training Programs

Since you now have a general idea about what is involved in becoming a phlebotomist, it's time to begin your due diligence process. You may have already selected the kind of program you want to enroll in, whether it be for a certificate or a degree. As we previously mentioned, the location of the campus is relevant if you will be commuting from Georgetown TX in addition to the cost of tuition. Perhaps you have decided to enroll in an accredited phlebotomy online college. Each of these decisions are a critical component of the process for picking a phlebotomy program or school. But they are not the only considerations when arriving at your decision. Following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate decision.

Is the Phlebotomy Program State Specific? As mentioned previously, each state has its own laws for practicing as a phlebotomy technician. Several states call for certification, while a few others mandate licensing. Every state has its own requirement regarding the minimum hours of clinical training performed before practicing as a phlebotomy tech. As a result, you may need to pass a State Board, certification or licensing examination. Therefore it's extremely important to enroll in a phlebotomy program that fulfills the state specific requirements for Texas or the state where you will be working and preps you for any examinations you may have to take.

Is the School Accredited? The phlebotomist school and program you enroll in should be accredited by a recognized regional or national accrediting agency, such as the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). There are many benefits to graduating from an accredited school aside from an assurance of a premium education. First, if your program has not received accreditation, you will not qualify to take a certification examination offered by any of the earlier listed certifying organizations. Also, accreditation will help in obtaining loans or financial assistance, which are frequently not available for non-accredited colleges. Last, graduating from an accredited college can make you more desirable to prospective employers in the Georgetown TX job market.

What is the Program's Reputation? In many states there is minimal or no regulation of phlebotomist schools, so there are those that are not of the highest quality. So in addition to accreditation, it's important to check out the reputations of all colleges you are looking at. You can start by asking the schools for references from employers where they refer their graduates as part of their job placement program. You can screen internet school rating and review services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. You can also talk to several Georgetown TX clinics or hospitals that you might have an interest in working for and find out if they can provide any recommendations. As a final thought, you can check with the Texas school licensing authority and find out if any grievances have been submitted or if the colleges are in total compliance.

Is Plenty of Training Provided? To begin with, check with the state regulator where you will be practicing to find out if there are any minimum requirements for the length of training, both clinical and classroom. At a minimum, any phlebotomy program that you are reviewing should furnish at least 40 hours of classroom training (most require 120) and 120 hours of practical training. Anything below these minimums may indicate that the program is not expansive enough to furnish sufficient training.

Are Internship Programs Provided? Find out from the programs you are reviewing if they have an internship program in collaboration with local health care facilities. They are the optimal means to get hands-on clinical training typically not obtainable on campus. As an added benefit, internships can assist students develop relationships within the local Georgetown TX healthcare community. And they look good on resumes as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Available? Finding your first phlebotomist position will be a lot easier with the assistance of a job placement program. Inquire if the schools you are reviewing provide assistance and what their job placement rate is. If a college has a high rate, meaning they place most of their students in jobs, it's an indication that the school has both an excellent reputation as well as a large network of professional contacts within the Georgetown TX medical community.

Are Class Times Conveniently Scheduled? Finally, it's critical to make sure that the final school you select offers classes at times that will accommodate your busy schedule. This is especially true if you opt to still work while going to college. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Georgetown TX, check that they are available at those times. Also, if you can only attend part-time, verify it is an option as well. And if you have decided to attend online, with the clinical training requirement, make certain those hours can also be fulfilled within your schedule. And ask what the make-up protocol is in case you need to miss any classes as a result of illness or emergencies.

Learn More About Becoming a Phlebotomist in Georgetown

Choose the Right Georgetown Phlebotomist Training

Making certain that you choose the most suitable phlebotomist training is a critical first step toward your success in this rewarding medical care field. As we have addressed in this article, there are several factors that contribute toward the selection of a premium college. Phlebotomist training programs can be available in a number of academic institutes, such as junior or community colleges, trade schools, and colleges and universities that provide a wide assortment of programs in medical care and health sciences. Program offerings can differ slightly from state to state as every state has its own prerequisites when it pertains to phlebotomist training, licensing and certification. The most critical point is that you need to thoroughly evaluate and compare each program before making your final choice. By asking the questions that we have presented, you will be able to fine tune your options so that you can select the right phlebotomy college for you. And with the proper training, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a phlebotomy technician in Georgetown Texas.

 

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