Choosing a Phlebotomist School near Pomona New York

Picking the right phlebotomy school near Pomona NY is an important first step toward a gratifying career as a phlebotomist. It might seem like a difficult task to evaluate and compare all of the school alternatives that are available to you. Nevertheless it’s necessary that you do your due diligence to ensure that you obtain a quality education. In reality, many potential students start the process by looking at 2 of the qualifiers that initially come to mind, which are location and cost. Another option you may consider is whether to attend online classes or commute to a local campus. We’ll discuss a bit more about online classes later in this article. What you need to remember is that there is much more to checking out phlebotomy training programs than finding the cheapest or the closest one. Other factors including reputation and accreditation are also significant considerations and should be part of your selection process too. To assist in that effort, we will furnish a list of questions that you need to ask each of the phlebotomy schools you are assessing to help you pick the right one for you. But prior to doing that, let’s address what a phlebotomist is and does, and afterwards resume our conversation about online classes.

Phlebotomist Work Description

A phlebotomist, or phlebotomy technician, draws blood from patients. While that is their main duty, there is in fact far more to their job description. Before drawing a blood sample, a phlebotomist needs to check that the instruments being used are sterile and single use only. After collection, the sample must be accurately labeled with the patient’s information. Next, paperwork must be properly completed to be able to track the sample from the point of collection through the laboratory screening process. The phlebotomist then transports the blood to either an in-house lab or to an outside lab facility where it can be screened for such things as pregnancy, infectious diseases or blood type. Some Pomona NY phlebotomists actually work in laboratories and are accountable for ensuring that samples are analyzed correctly using the highest quality control procedures. And if those weren’t enough duties, they might be required to train other phlebotomists in the drawing, transport and follow-up process.

Where are Phlebotomy Techs Employed?

The simplest response is wherever they treat patients. Their workplaces are many and diverse, such as Pomona NY hospitals, medical clinics, long-term care facilities, or blood banks. They may be tasked to draw blood samples from patients of all ages, from infants or toddlers to seniors. A number of phlebotomy techs, based on their practice and their training, specialize in collecting samples from a certain type of patient. For example, those working in a nursing home or assisted living facility would exclusively be collecting blood from senior patients. If they are practicing in a maternity ward, they would be drawing blood from mothers and newborns solely. On the other hand, phlebotomists working in a general hospital setting would be collecting samples from a wide variety of patients and would work with different patients on a daily basis.

Phlebotomy Technician Training, Certification and Licensing

There are primarily 2 types of programs that offer phlebotomy training in Pomona NY, which are degree and certificate programs. The certificate program usually takes less than a year to finish and offers a basic education together with the training on how to draw blood. It provides the fastest means to becoming a phlebotomy tech. An Associate of Science Degree in Clinical Laboratory Science, although not exclusively a phlebotomy degree, will provide training to become a phlebotomist. Offered at junior and community colleges, they typically require two years to complete. Bachelor’s Degrees are less available and as a four year program furnish a more comprehensive foundation in lab sciences. After you have completed your training, you will no doubt want to get certified. While not mandated in most states, many employers require certification prior to hiring technicians. Some of the principal certifying agencies 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 call for certification in order to practice as a phlebotomist, such as Nevada and California. California and a handful of additional states even require licensing. So it’s imperative that you enroll in a phlebotomy training program that not only supplies a superior education, but also preps you for any licensing or certification examinations that you are required or elect to take.

Online Phlebotomist Training

To start with, let’s resolve one likely mistaken belief. You can’t get all of your phlebotomy training online. A good component of the course of study will be clinical training and it will be carried out either in an approved Pomona NY healthcare facility or an on-campus lab|an on-campus lab or an approved healthcare facility}. Many courses also require completing an internship prior to graduation. However since the non-clinical portion of the training may be accessed online, it can be a more convenient alternative for many students. As an added benefit, a number of online schools are more affordable than their on-campus competitors. And some expenses, including those for commuting or textbooks, may be lowered as well. Just confirm that the online phlebotomist school you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency (more on accreditation to follow). With both the extensive clinical and online training, you can receive a quality education with this approach to learning. If you are disciplined enough to study at home, then earning your degree or certificate online might be the best choice for you.

Topics to Ask Phlebotomist Programs

Since you now have a basic idea about what it takes to become a phlebotomist, it’s time to start your due diligence process. You might have already selected the kind of program you intend to enroll in, whether it be for a degree or a certificate. As we mentioned earlier, the location of the New York college is important as well as the tuition expense. Possibly you have opted to enroll in an phlebotomist online college. Each of these decisions are an important part of the process for selecting a school or program. But they are not the sole concerns when arriving at your decision. Below we have provided several questions that you should ask about all of the Pomona NY programs you are looking at before making your final selection.

Is the Phlebotomist Program State Specific? As mentioned previously, each state has its own requirements for practicing as a phlebotomy technician. Several states call for certification, while a few others mandate licensing. Each has its own prerequisite regarding the minimum hours of practical training performed prior to working as a phlebotomist. Consequently, you might need to pass a State Board, licensing or certification examination. Therefore it’s very important to select a phlebotomy program that fulfills the state specific requirements for New York or the state where you will be working and prepares you for any examinations you may have to take.

Is the College Accredited? The phlebotomist program and school you pick should be accredited by a highly regarded national or regional accrediting organization, such as the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). There are several advantages to graduating from an accredited school in addition to an assurance of a superior education. First, if your program has not received accreditation, you will not qualify to sit for a certification examination offered by any of the previously listed certifying organizations. Next, accreditation will help in obtaining loans or financial assistance, which are often not available for non-accredited colleges in Pomona NY. Finally, earning a certificate or a degree from an accredited college can make you more desirable to potential employers in the job market.

What is the Program’s Reputation? In numerous states there is little or no regulation of phlebotomy colleges, so there are those that are not of the highest caliber. So along with accreditation, it’s imperative to check the reputations of all colleges you are reviewing. You can begin by requesting references from the schools from employers where they refer their graduates as part of their job assistance program. You can research internet school reviews and rating services and solicit the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. You can also talk to some Pomona NY area clinics or hospitals that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations. As a closing thought, you can contact the New York school licensing authority and find out if any complaints have been submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

Is Sufficient Training Provided? First, check with the New York regulator or the state regulator where you will be working to learn if there are any minimum requirements for the amount of training, both clinical and classroom. At a minimum, any Pomona NY phlebotomy program that you are considering should provide no less than 40 hours of classroom training (the majority require 120) and 120 hours of clinical training. Anything below these minimums might signify that the program is not comprehensive enough to offer adequate training.

Are Internship Programs Sponsored? Ask the New York schools you are considering if they have an internship program in partnership with regional medical facilities. They are the ideal means to receive hands-on clinical training often not provided on campus. As an additional benefit, internships can help students establish contacts within the local Pomona NY medical community. And they look good on resumes also.

Is Job Placement Assistance Provided? Finding your first phlebotomist job will be a lot easier with the help of a job placement program. Ask if the programs you are looking at provide assistance and what their job placement rate is. If a college has a higher rate, signifying they place the majority 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 Pomona NY medical community.

Are Class Times Compatible With Your Schedule? Finally, it’s important to confirm that the final college you choose provides classes at times that are compatible with your hectic schedule. This is particularly important if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Pomona NY, make certain they are offered at those times. Additionally, if you can only attend on a part-time basis, confirm it is an option also. And if you have decided to attend online, with the clinical training requirement, make sure 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 due to illness or emergencies.

Why Did You Decide to Become a Phlebotomy Technician?

When prepping to interview for a Phlebotomy Tech position, it's important to consider questions you might be asked. One of the questions that hiring managers typically ask Phlebotomy Technician candidates is "What drove you to select Phlebotomy as a career?". What the interviewer is hoping to discover is not merely the personal reasons you might have for being Phlebotomy Tech, but also what characteristics and talents you have that make you good at what you do. You will undoubtedly be asked questions relating specifically to Phlebotomy, in addition to a significant number of routine interview questions, so you need to prepare some ideas about how you would like to answer them. Given that there are so many variables that go into choosing a career, you can respond to this primary question in a number of ways. When preparing an answer, attempt to include the reasons the work interests you along with the talents you possess that make you an outstanding Phlebotomy Technician and the best candidate for the position. Don't try to memorize an answer, but write down a few ideas and topics that pertain to your personal experiences and strengths. Reading through sample answers can assist you to formulate your own concepts, and give you ideas of what to include to impress the interviewer.

Find the Right Phlebotomist Program near Pomona NY

Making certain that you select the right phlebotomist training is an important first step toward your success in this gratifying healthcare career position. As we have covered in this article, there are multiple factors that contribute toward the selection of a quality program. Phlebotomist training programs are available in a wide range of educational institutions, including community or junior colleges, vocational schools, and colleges and universities that provide an extensive array of programs in healthcare and medical sciences. Course options can vary somewhat from state to state as every state has its own criteria when it pertains to phlebotomist training, licensing and certification. The most critical point is that you need to carefully evaluate and compare each college before making your final choice. By addressing the questions that we have presented, you will be able to narrow down your choices so that you can select the ideal college for you. And with the proper training, you can realize your goal of becoming a phlebotomist in Pomona NY.

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