Phlebotomy Training

In order to get your phlebotomy certification, you will have to complete a phlebotomy training course. This training is usually a prerequisite to any type of certification in phlebotomy, and is often a requirement in order to be employed as a phlebotomist at many hospitals. phlebotomy training may be slightly different depending on where you receive your training, but there are many basic concepts that are the same. Here is a general guide to what you can expect to learn in most phlebotomy training courses.

Computer Training

Since the large majority of hospitals use computers to keep track of all of their important data, most phlebotomists are required to have some amount of computer training. This training may include entering data, keeping track of reports, or updating a patient’s history file.

Professional Behavior

Since a hospital is a professional environment, most phlebotomists are required to exhibit professional behavior. This includes behaving appropriately around patients, and refraining from participating in behavior that makes patients uncomfortable. In addition to this, professional behavioral training may also help to teach a student how to interact with difficult patients.

Lab Safety

In order to be a phlebotomist, you need to be comfortable with many different types of laboratory equipment. This also includes being well-versed in laboratory safety procedures. It may occur that you are required to clean up a potentially hazardous spill in the lab, and it’s essential that you have the knowledge to do so safely.

Blood Sampling

Depending on the specific patient, you will need to know how to best collect a blood sample. For example, collecting a blood sample from a significantly obese person will require a different approach than collecting a blood sample from a small child. It’s important that you are aware of these procedures, and how to approach each patient with a method that will keep the blood collection process as quick and painless as possible.

CPR

Though not a requirement in all phlebotomy training programs, some courses require you to become certified in CPR. Knowing CPR can help you to act quickly in case of an emergency situation, or may give you the skills to aid a patient in distress until help arrives.

Human Anatomy

Most phlebotomy training courses also include classes that focus on providing knowledge of human anatomy. Since you will be dealing with veins, it’s important that you are aware of how the circulatory system functions, as well as where you have the best chance of collecting a sample. In addition to this, human anatomy also covers the skeletal system, the muscular system, the urinary tract, the respiratory system, the lymphatic system and other essential bodily systems.

Blood Composition

In order to understand how blood may be affected by pathogens, it’s also very important for a phlebotomist to understand the components of a blood sample. It may occur that you are required to take a blood sample from an individual with an infectious disease, so it’s important to understand how their blood sample will be affected.