Phlebotomist Training Courses
How to Find the Best One Near West Odessa Texas 

Selecting the right phlebotomy technician training near West Odessa TX is a critical initial step toward a rewarding career as a phlebotomist. There are a number of training options available to you and it may seem like a daunting task to investigate and analyze each one. However, to guarantee that you will get a top-notch education you must perform a detailed audit prior to making your decision. Quite often the two qualifications that initially come to mind for prospective students are the location of the school and the cost of tuition. An additional option you might consider is whether to attend classes online or commute to a local campus. We'll review a bit more about online classes later in this article. So when assessing phlebotomy training programs, cost and location shouldn’t be the only parameters you are looking at. Finding out if the program is accredited or if the school has a job assistance program should also be part of your due diligence process. To assist in that effort, we will provide a list of questions that you should ask each of the phlebotomy schools you are assessing to help you choose the ideal one for you. But prior to doing that, let's cover what a phlebotomist is and does, and then continue our discussion about online training.

It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Phlebotomy Career Below!

Where do Phlebotomists Practice?

The simplest answer is wherever they treat patients. Their work environments are numerous and varied, including West Odessa TX medical clinics, hospitals, long-term care facilities, or blood centers. They may be tasked to collect blood samples from patients of of every age, from infants or young children to senior citizens. A number of phlebotomists, based on their practice and their training, specialize in collecting samples from a specific type of patient. For example, those working in an assisted living facility or nursing home would only be collecting blood from older patients. If they are working in a maternity ward, they would be collecting blood from mothers and newborns solely. In contrast, phlebotomists practicing in a general hospital environment would be drawing samples from a wide range of patients and would collect samples from new patients every day.

Phlebotomy Technician Training, Certification and Licensing

There are primarily 2 kinds of programs that furnish phlebotomist training, which are degree and certificate programs. The certificate program usually takes under a year to finish and offers a general education together with the training on how to draw blood. It provides the quickest means to becoming a phlebotomist. An Associate of Science Degree in Clinical Laboratory Science, although not exclusively a phlebotomy degree, will provide training on becoming a phlebotomist. Offered at junior and community colleges, they normally require two years to finish. Bachelor's Degrees are not as available and as a 4 year program provide a more comprehensive foundation in lab sciences. When you have completed your training, you will probably want to become certified. Although not required in the majority of states, a number of West Odessa TX employers require certification prior to employing technicians. A few of the key certifying organizations include:

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

There are a few states that do require certification in order to practice as a phlebotomist, like Nevada and California. California and a handful of additional states even require licensing. So it's important that you pick a phlebotomist training program that not only provides a premium education, but also preps you for any licensing or certification exams that you are required or elect to take.

Online Phlebotomy Classes

To start with, let's dispel one likely misconception. You can't obtain all of your phlebotomist training online. A substantial part of the curriculum will be clinical training and it will be conducted 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-practical part of the training may be accessed online, it may be a more practical alternative for many West Odessa TX students. As an added benefit, many online classes are more affordable than their traditional counterparts. And some expenses, such as those for textbooks or commuting, may be lessened as well. Just confirm that the online phlebotomist program you select is accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency (more on accreditation to follow). With both the extensive online and clinical training, you can receive a superior education with this method of learning. If you are disciplined enough to study at home, then earning your certificate or degree online may be the right choice for you.

Questions to Ask Phlebotomy Training Programs

Now that you have a general understanding about what it takes to become a phlebotomist, it's time to start your due diligence process. You may have already selected the type of program you want to enroll in, whether it be for a degree or a certificate. As we mentioned earlier, the location of the campus is significant if you will be commuting from West Odessa TX in addition to the tuition expense. Maybe you have decided to enroll in an accredited phlebotomy online program. Each of these decisions are a critical component of the process for choosing a phlebotomy program or school. But they are not the sole considerations when arriving at your decision. Following are several questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are looking at prior to making your final decision.

Is the Phlebotomist Program Specific to Your State? As mentioned previously, each state has its own laws for practicing as a phlebotomy technician. Some states call for certification, while a few others mandate licensing. Every state has its own prerequisite regarding the minimum hours of clinical training performed prior to practicing as a phlebotomy tech. As a result, you may need to pass a State Board, licensing or certification exam. Therefore it's very important to enroll in a phlebotomist program that fulfills the state specific requirements for Texas or the state where you will be practicing and preps you for all exams you may be required to take.

Is the School Accredited? The phlebotomy school and program you pick should be accredited by a recognized regional or national accrediting organization, for example the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). There are several benefits to graduating from an accredited program aside from a guarantee of a superior education. First, if your program has not received accreditation, you will not qualify to take a certification exam offered by any of the previously listed certifying organizations. Also, accreditation will help in securing loans or financial assistance, which are typically not available for non-accredited colleges. Last, graduating from an accredited college can make you more desirable to prospective employers in the West Odessa TX job market.

What is the School's Reputation? In many states there is minimal or no regulation of phlebotomy schools, so there are those that are not of the highest quality. So along with accreditation, it's important to check the reputations of all schools you are considering. You can start by requesting references from the schools from employers where they place their graduates as part of their job placement program. You can research internet school rating and review services and solicit the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. You can even talk to several West Odessa TX hospitals or clinics that you might have an interest in working for and see if they can provide any insights. As a closing thought, you can contact the Texas school licensing authority and find out if any complaints have been filed 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 working to learn if there are any minimum requirements for the amount of training, both classroom and practical. As a minimum, any phlebotomist program that you are considering should furnish at least 40 hours of classroom training (most require 120) and 120 hours of practical training. Anything lower than these minimums might signify that the program is not expansive enough to provide sufficient training.

Are Internship Programs Included? Ask the colleges you are looking at if they have an internship program in collaboration with regional health care facilities. They are the optimal means to obtain hands-on clinical training frequently not available on campus. As an added benefit, internships can assist students develop contacts within the local West Odessa TX health care community. And they are a plus on resumes also.

Is Job Placement Assistance Provided? Getting your first phlebotomist job will be a lot easier with the help of a job placement program. Find out if the schools you are looking at provide assistance and what their job placement rate is. If a college has a higher rate, meaning they place the majority of their students in positions, it's an indication that the program has both a good reputation as well as a substantial network of professional contacts within the West Odessa TX health care community.

Are Class Times Available as Needed? And last, it's important to make sure that the ultimate program you choose offers classes at times that are compatible with your active lifestyle. This is especially important if you choose to continue working while going to college. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near West Odessa TX, make certain they are offered at those times. Additionally, if you can only attend part-time, make sure 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 should you have to miss any classes due to illness or emergencies.

Get More Info on How to Become a Phlebotomist in West Odessa

Enroll in the Right West Odessa Phlebotomist Training

Making sure that you select the right phlebotomy training is an important first step toward your success in this fulfilling medical care field. As we have addressed in this article, there are multiple factors that go into the selection of a quality program. Phlebotomy certificate or degree programs are found in a wide range of educational institutes, such as junior or community colleges, trade schools, and colleges and universities that provide a wide array of courses in healthcare and medical sciences. Training program options may vary somewhat across the country as every state has its own prerequisites when it comes to phlebotomy training, licensing and certification. The most critical point is that you must diligently research and compare each program before making your ultimate selection. By addressing the questions that we have furnished, you will be able to narrow down your choices so that you can select the best phlebotomy program for you. And with the proper training, you can achieve your goal of becoming a phlebotomy technician in West Odessa Texas.

 

West Odessa Phlebotomy Courses | West Odessa Phlebotomy Certificate