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Currently, there are no federal requirements for licensure or certification. The rules for phlebotomy are set individually by each state. Every state has different requirements for its phlebotomists. There are just four states which require a certification or license to draw blood.
Do you have to have a degree to draw blood?
The only educational training needed to become a phlebotomist is the completion of a certificate or diploma program. Phlebotomists can also find work with just a high school diploma and receive training once they are hired.
What states require a license to draw blood?
State-Specific Phlebotomy Requirements Only three US states require licensing. The others require specific qualifications and education experience. The four states that require licensing include California, Louisiana, and Nevada. Louisiana requires several components to its phlebotomy certification application.
What states require phlebotomists to be certified?
In fact, the BLS shows that as of 2020, only four states require that phlebotomists be certified: California, Louisiana, Nevada, and Washington.
Who can draw blood?
Phlebotomy is the drawing of blood. A phlebotomist is someone with special training to do so. However, in many countries, other healthcare professionals can also draw blood (e.g., doctors, nurses, laboratory, and emergency medical technicians).
Can you draw blood without being certified?
Technically, all but 4 states do not require any Phlebotomy Certification or License to draw blood. Most employers only hire phlebotomists with valid certifications or diplomas. There are, however, many people that have years of experience that have never passed a phlebotomy education program.
How do I get certified in phlebotomy?
How to become a phlebotomist in 5 steps Apply for your exam. Create a free NHA account online, anytime, and submit your Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) exam application through your account portal. Set a date. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Take the exam. Get your results.
What is the best certification for phlebotomy?
The Best Phlebotomy Certification Programs in 2021 Best Overall: Phlebotomy Career Training. Best Accelerated Program: Chicago School of Phlebotomy. Best Intensive Program: National Phlebotomy Association (NPA) Best Online Option: American National University. Best Value: Heart to Heart Healthcare Training.
How much does phlebotomy school cost?
How much does it cost to become a phlebotomist? Costs associated with becoming a phlebotomist vary from school to school and state to state. Accredited online training programs may cost as little as $300 or as much as $700-$800. In-person classroom phlebotomy training costs anywhere from about $700 to $1,400 or more.
Can a medical assistant draw blood?
The simple answer is no, medical assistants don’t draw blood, not unless they’ve received additional training. A medical assistant certificate that only covers traditional medical assistant skills doesn’t provide the training needed to draw blood.
Can nurses draw blood?
Drawing blood is one of the skills required of a registered nurse. While there are phlebotomists that work at the hospital, you can’t count on them to always be there when your patient needs an important lab test done.
What qualifications do you need to take blood?
Employers usually ask for at least two GCSEs or equivalent. They may ask for a BTEC or equivalent vocational qualification in health and social care or healthcare. Employers often ask for relevant work experience.
What do you need to draw blood?
At a minimum, the equipment required when drawing blood includes gloves, alcohol or iodine to cleanse the area, a tourniquet, tubes, a tube holder, needles, tape, and gauze. A Phlebotomist should be completely aware of the wide range of needles, tubes, etc.
Is it legal to draw your own blood?
Depending on where you work, a physician’s or nurse’s order may not be required to draw blood. In the US, some states allow patients to order their own lab work. In these so-called “Direct Access Testing” states, anyone can request their blood be drawn without a physician’s order.
Is drawing someone’s blood illegal?
Blood draws are legal if the proper procedures are followed leading up to the blood draws. Once someone has been arrested by the police for a DUI, the police are required to read what’s called implied consent to the person who they have arrested.
How do you get certified to draw blood?
How to become a phlebotomist Complete secondary education. You need to complete secondary school to become a phlebotomist. Complete a phlebotomy program. Earn a phlebotomy certification. Gain work experience. Maintain certification. Specimen collection. Patient care skills. Computer skills.
Can uncertified medical assistants draw blood?
The regulations governing medical assistants can be found in Title 16, California Code of Regulations, sections 1366-1366.4. Medical assistants who have completed the minimum training prescribed by regulation may draw blood.
Do you have to be certified to take vitals?
Taking vital signs is one of the medical assistant skills and duties that can be learned through formal training.
Is phlebotomy exam hard?
Phlebotomy is one of the easiest health-care professions to enter, with minimal training and certification requirements.
How much is the phlebotomy certification exam?
Phlebotomy technicians are eligible to take the NHA certification exam if they have completed a phlebotomy training program within the past 5 years and documented at least 30 vein punctures and 10 capillary draws. They also must hold a high school diploma or its equivalent. The certification exam costs $117.
How hard is phlebotomy?
Is it hard to become a phlebotomist? Being a phlebotomist is not hard but it does require lots of training and practice. Phlebotomists will learn a lot on the job and will get better as they gain more experience drawing blood. This job may be difficult for individuals who are sensitive to the sight of bodily fluids.
How do I become a phlebotomy?
Steps to Become a Phlebotomist – Education & Experience Step 1: Complete high school (four years). Step 2: Complete an accredited phlebotomy program (eight weeks to a year). Step 3: Pursue Professional Phlebotomy Certification (Timelines Vary). Step 4: Maintain certification (annually).
What’s the difference between phlebotomy and phlebotomist?
Phlebotomy is also called bloodletting, blood drawing, or venipuncture. A person who is qualified to perform a phlebotomy is called a phlebotomy technician or phlebotomist. Although a phlebotomy may be performed by a doctor or nurse, a phlebotomist is a professional specifically qualified to perform this procedure.
What is higher than a phlebotomist?
Laboratory technician is an even more highly skilled position than phlebotomist and will boost your salary accordingly. You may even eventually be inspired to go to medical school to become a doctor.
What is a phlebotomist salary?
The average Phlebotomist salary in the United States is $36,271 as of November 29, 2021, but the range typically falls between $32,672 and $40,508.
What to Know Before becoming a phlebotomist?
7 Things That Every Phlebotomist Should Know Dealing with Nervous Patients. While many patients simply don’t like needles, some have an intense phobia of them. Finding Veins. Answering Difficult Questions. HIV and Bloodborne Pathogen Training. Privacy Laws and Workplace Policies. Getting a Salary Boost.
