Phlebotomist Training Courses
How to Find the Right One Near Harker Heights Texas 

Perhaps the most serious decision you must make to enter the rewarding healthcare vocation of phlebotomy is to choose the best phlebotomy school near Harker Heights TX. It may seem like a challenging undertaking to evaluate and compare all of the training alternatives that are accessible to you. However it's vital that you perform your due diligence to ensure that you get a superior education. Quite often the two requirements that first come to mind for student applicants are the location of the school and the cost of tuition. And if you will commute to classes or attend them online is another consideration as well. We'll discuss more about online classes later in this article. So when comparing phlebotomist training programs, location and cost shouldn’t be the sole criteria you are looking at. Other variables including accreditation and reputation are also significant considerations and need to be part of your selection process as well. Toward that end, we will furnish a list of questions that you should ask each of the phlebotomy schools you are assessing to help you pick the best one for you. But before we do that, let's cover what a phlebotomist is and does, and then continue our conversation about online schools.

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Should You Train to Be a Phlebotomy Technician?

Right out of the gate, few people probably know what a phlebotomist or phlebotomy technician is. The basic definition is a medical professional whose job is to draw blood. So naturally anyone who chooses this profession must be able to handle needles and blood. And if you are not comfortable in hospitals or other Harker Heights TX medical facilities, well this job probably is not the best choice for you. And now let’s talk about the patients. Phlebotomists often work with anxious people who don’t like needles or having their blood drawn. And because many medical facilities are open 24 hours, you may be expected to work weekends, evenings and, you guessed it even on holidays. But if you don’t mind working with the needles and blood, and if you enjoy interacting with people and are compassionate and very patient, this may be the perfect profession for you.

Phlebotomy Technician Education, Licensing and Certification

There are primarily 2 types of programs that furnish phlebotomy training, which are certificate and degree programs. The certificate program usually takes under a year to finish and provides a general education along with the training on how to draw blood. It offers the quickest means to becoming a phlebotomy tech. An Associate of Science Degree in Clinical Laboratory Science, even though it's not exclusively a phlebotomist degree, will include training on becoming a phlebotomist. Available at community and junior colleges, they typically take 2 years to finish. Bachelor's Degrees are not as accessible and as a four year program offer a more comprehensive foundation in lab sciences. Once you have completed your training, you will no doubt want to get certified. Although not mandated in the majority of states, most Harker Heights TX employers look for certification before hiring technicians. Some of the primary certifying agencies include:

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

There are several states that do require certification in order to practice as a phlebotomy tech, such as Nevada and California. California and a few additional states even require licensing. So it's important that you choose a phlebotomist training program that not only provides a quality education, but also readies you for any certification or licensing exams that you elect or are required to take.

Online Phlebotomist Certificates and Degrees

To start with, let's resolve one likely misconception. You can't get all of your phlebotomist training online. A good part of the course of study 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 completing an internship in order to graduate. But since the non-clinical part of the training may be attended online, it may be a more practical option for many Harker Heights TX students. As an added benefit, a number of online programs are more affordable than their traditional counterparts. And some costs, including those for textbooks or commuting, may be reduced as well. Just make sure that the online phlebotomy school you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization (more on accreditation to follow). With both the comprehensive online and clinical training, you can receive a premium education with this method of learning. If you are disciplined enough to study at home, then earning your certificate or degree online might be the ideal choice for you.

What to Ask Phlebotomist Schools

Now that you have a general idea about what it takes to become a phlebotomist, it's time to start your due diligence process. You may have already decided on the type of program you intend to enroll in, whether it be for a certificate or a degree. As we mentioned earlier, the location of the college is important if you will be commuting from Harker Heights TX as well as the cost of tuition. Possibly you have opted to enroll in an accredited online phlebotomy college. Each of these decisions are an important part of the procedure for picking a phlebotomy program or school. But they are not the sole considerations when arriving at your decision. Below we have provided a few questions that you should ask about each of the colleges you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Phlebotomist Program Specific to Your State? As mentioned previously, each state has its own requirements for practicing as a phlebotomist. Some states require certification, while a few others require licensing. Each has its own requirement regarding the minimum amount of practical training completed before practicing as a phlebotomist. Consequently, you may need to pass a State Board, certification or licensing exam. Therefore it's extremely important to choose a phlebotomist program that complies with the state specific requirements for Texas or the state where you will be practicing and readies you for all examinations you may have to take.

Is the School Accredited? The phlebotomy program and school you pick should be accredited by a reputable national or regional accrediting agency, such as the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). There are a number of benefits to graduating from an accredited program aside from a guarantee of a premium education. First, if your program is not accredited, you will not qualify to sit for a certification examination offered by any of the previously listed certifying agencies. Also, accreditation will help in obtaining loans or financial assistance, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Last, graduating from an accredited college can make you more desirable to prospective employers in the Harker Heights TX job market.

What is the School's Reputation? In many states there is minimal or no regulation of phlebotomist schools, so there are some that are not of the highest caliber. So in addition to accreditation, it's important to investigate the reputations of all schools you are reviewing. You can begin by asking the schools for references from employers where they refer their students as part of their job assistance program. You can research internet school rating and review services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. You can also talk to a few Harker Heights TX hospitals or clinics that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can provide any insights. As a final thought, you can contact the Texas school licensing authority and ask if any complaints have been submitted or if the colleges are in full compliance.

Is Enough Training Included? To begin with, contact the state regulator where you will be working to learn if there are any minimum requirements for the amount of training, both classroom and practical. At a minimum, any phlebotomy program that you are considering should furnish no less than 40 hours of classroom training (most require 120) and 120 hours of clinical training. Anything lower than these minimums might indicate that the program is not expansive enough to offer sufficient training.

Are Internships Included? Ask the programs you are looking at if they have an internship program in partnership with area healthcare facilities. They are the optimal way to get hands-on clinical training typically not obtainable on campus. As an additional benefit, internships can help students develop contacts within the local Harker Heights TX medical community. And they look good on resumes as well.

Is Job Placement Help Provided? Finding your first phlebotomy position will be a lot easier with the assistance of a job placement program. Find out if the programs you are reviewing offer assistance and what their job placement percentage is. If a college has a higher rate, signifying they place the majority of their students in positions, it's an indication that the college has both an excellent reputation along with a substantial network of professional contacts within the Harker Heights TX healthcare 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 lifestyle. This is particularly true if you decide to still work while going to school. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Harker Heights TX, make sure they are available at those times. Additionally, if you can only attend part-time, make sure it is an option as well. Even if you have decided to attend online, with the clinical training requirement, make certain those hours can also be fulfilled within your schedule. And find out what the make-up policy is should you need to miss any classes as a result of illness or emergencies.

Find Out About How to Become a Phlebotomist in Harker Heights

Pick the Right Harker Heights Phlebotomist Training Program

Making certain that you enroll in the most suitable phlebotomy training is an important first step toward your success in this rewarding health care field. As we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that go into the selection of a quality college. Phlebotomy training programs are available in a variety of academic institutions, including junior or community colleges, trade schools, and colleges and universities that offer an extensive assortment of programs in medical care and health sciences. Training program options may differ somewhat from state to state as each state has its own criteria when it pertains to phlebotomy training, licensing and certification. The most important point is that you must thoroughly screen and compare each college before making your ultimate decision. By asking the questions that we have furnished, you will be able to narrow down your choices so that you can pick the ideal phlebotomist college for you. And with the appropriate education, you can achieve your goal of becoming a phlebotomist in Harker Heights Texas.

 

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