Help needed!- To those with Phlebotomy/EKG certification

[Sunoknow]

Hey so I have decided to take a Phlebotomy course and maybe combine it with an EKG course for a discounted combination price. 3 weeks for as course in Phlebotomy, or 6 weeks for the combined EKG and Phlebotomy? You don't really need a certificate to practice EKG, but then how are people willing to have us in their labs? Will a certificate in Phlebotomy make up for no EKG certification?

-To those who have a Phlebotomy certificate, how did you find the jobs you did? I did a search today and most require at least 1 year of experience as a phlebotomist, and also experience in a "hospital setting".


How did you get the 1 year of experience before applying for a job? Do you just ask to volunteer in hospitals, or is it more harder than that? I was hoping after I get my certificate I could get right to getting a job...but I guess not

Thanks for all the help!

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[bunnity]

I'm an EKG tech (EKGs, nuclear stress, Holters, transcription) and I don't think EKG school is that necessary or helpful. At my hospital we have only 1 out of maybe 10 EKG techs that got certified. I think it's probably a waste of time / money - EKGs aren't that hard to do. Our hospital did send us to a week long class after about a year of employment so we could learn arrhythmias, but that was more for stress tests than EKGs.

 

[Sunoknow]

Hmm interesting. Did you have prior experience before you got thew job? Most of the time they ask you to send a resume, and I haven't ever had a job, I just have some basic hospital volunteering services. My resume has nothing else on it, so will that be a problem or will hospital volunteer experience along with Phlebotomy certification be good enough for most jobs?

 

[bunnity]

I didn't have prior experience - just a high school diploma. I did happen to "know someone" - a nurse that knew my now-boss, which got me a foot in the door. I think if you can get a hospital person from your volunteering to call up HR and put in a good word for you, that would help. Obviously this will totally depend on the hospital you want to work at, but it worked for me.

 

[Kaustikos]

I'm an EKG tech (EKGs, nuclear stress, Holters, transcription) and I don't think EKG school is that necessary or helpful. At my hospital we have only 1 out of maybe 10 EKG techs that got certified. I think it's probably a waste of time / money - EKGs aren't that hard to do. Our hospital did send us to a week long class after about a year of employment so we could learn arrhythmias, but that was more for stress tests than EKGs.

They're easy to do and certification is for people who don't know anything about what they're doing, imo. Get the certification if you want, but I didn't need it either.

 

[Sunoknow]

The "easy" stuff you guys are talking about, I'm guessing you mean EKG right? Since a lot of places do require Phlebotomy certification, I'm guessing your posts are mainly directed towards EKG?

And if I get certification in phlebotomy, I'm pretty sure that would make up for no certification in EKG and would give me somewhat of a boost in finding a job...

Keep the posts coming please! Thanks!

 

[mvenus929]

I'm a full-time phlebotomist in a hospital. The only experience I had before working there was doing a clinical for my class in an outpatient clinic. I had worked in a doctor's office for a little over a year before that, but I hadn't done anything clinical, just paper pushing.

The biggest thing my boss was concerned with at my interview was that I knew what I was doing. My class was long enough that I had plenty of practice, and she even said that she wanted to be sure it wasn't a weekend class, because it takes longer than a weekend to get good at drawing blood. She also wanted to be sure that I could handle a high-stress environment and that I could do my job in a timely manner.

I was actually hired per-requested-need, instead of full-time, but got the full-time position because the girl who they hired for that said she had lots of experience, but evidently really struggled with drawing blood, as if she had never done it before. Another girl who left before I was hired evidently took a half hour to draw one patient, and still couldn't get this person.

You can generally get around the experience preference by showing a dedication to your work, and being persistent. The turnover rate for phlebotomists, at least where I live, is pretty high, so they end up hiring people every few months. We have a bunch of people leaving now, actually, because they just finished with school and want to move on to bigger and better things.

That being said, a certification in EKG would mean very little to my department, since we don't do the EKGs.

 

[witness23]

correct me if I'm wrong, but these certification classes require money right?

and how many hours of work would it take to make up the money for the classes? what % of those certified find placement in a hospital? I think most like to hire on per-diem/need based schedules, right? So, is it worth it?

idk, I always wondered about this a year ago...decided it was too complicated. phlembotomists sound cool though

 

[mvenus929]

correct me if I'm wrong, but these certification classes require money right?

and how many hours of work would it take to make up the money for the classes? what % of those certified find placement in a hospital? I think most like to hire on per-diem/need based schedules, right? So, is it worth it?

idk, I always wondered about this a year ago...decided it was too complicated. phlembotomists sound cool though

Yes, the certification classes cost money. How much depends on who you get your certificate through. Both the CCs in my area offer a class for phlebotomy, and I think it would cost $500 for the semester course. My class was more expensive, but 1) I went through a private school, 2) did 10 credits of courses, and 3) had to take out loans to cover my living expenses, because my job only paid for gas to and from school... this was when gas was at it's highest last year.

Again, the amount of time it takes to pay back the cost of the class depends on a number of factors; where you get a job (plasma centers tend to pay less than hospitals), how much you can take home from that job (I'm not covered under my mom's insurance anymore, so I have to pay for my own out of my check), what experiences you have, whether you have actual certification (not just a certificate of completion), what position you're in (i.e. PRN pays more than full-time per hour, because you don't get benefits), etc, in addition to the cost of the class.

 

[bunnity]

The "easy" stuff you guys are talking about, I'm guessing you mean EKG right? Since a lot of places do require Phlebotomy certification, I'm guessing your posts are mainly directed towards EKG?

And if I get certification in phlebotomy, I'm pretty sure that would make up for no certification in EKG and would give me somewhat of a boost in finding a job...

Keep the posts coming please! Thanks!

That's right - I was referring to EKG's. I can't really comment on phlebotomy because I am a a cardiac tech (involves other cardiac tests besides EKGs). And I would guess that a phlebotomy certification would "make up" for not having an EKG one. That said, talk to someone that works at the hospital(s) you want to work at. There are a lot of different ways the testing can be broken up between departments. My hospital has a "heart station" where all the non-invasive cardiac testing is done and gets enough volume to have 30 or so techs just for non-invasive testing (including nuc and echo techs). The hospital down the street (part of the same system) has other techs (maybe respiratory? not sure) do EKGs and no centralized station. It seems like what you are thinking of doing is a general medical assistant type of tech where you do a variety of tests - like for an outpatient testing center. Just make sure that the place you want to work has the right type of position before you spend any money!

 

[Sunoknow]

Alright I'm really leaning towards NOT taking the EKG class, and sticking to just the Phlebotomy course. Afterall, if I do want to look for an EKG job and don't have the certificate, I can tell them that I have certfication in Phlebotomy and hopefully that helps me out a bit along with hospital volunteer work. My main problems are this:


- If I do take the Phlebotomy + EKG course, if I can't find a job as a phlebotomist I can try out for EKG, I have 2 options

- If I don't take the EKG course, I will free up time and can use those 3 weeks to volunteer instead, which will give me experience in a hospital setting and lead to an easier time finding a Phlebtomist job- since they require experience before applying.

Can't decide which choices to make 😛

 

[utjsm08]

I work part-time as a Phlebotomist at my local blood donation center. They provided all the training, and I was paid to train. See if your local center offers such a thing.

 

[Sunoknow]

Yea I will check one that is near on Monday

Here is the problem I am facing, look at ALL the people who have the same problems:

http://www.indeed.com/forum/job/phlebotomist/student-training-volunteer-work/t16839


Basically the required "1 year training" that most jobs want. How do we get the training if all the places already require training? Every place asks for "experience" but there isn't really a way to get that "experience" with no past "experience".

It's hard to describe but hopefully you guys understand

 

[mvenus929]

Basically the required "1 year training" that most jobs want. How do we get the training if all the places already require training? Every place asks for "experience" but there isn't really a way to get that "experience" with no past "experience".

It's hard to describe but hopefully you guys understand

The catch-22 of looking for a job. Just be persistent, show that you're dedicated, and hope the applicant pool doesn't have a lot of people with experience. Many will say that you need experience, but will hire those without experience anyway.

 

[Sunoknow]

Bumping this as I would please like more opinions and advice, thanks!

 

[MDToBeInNC]

The one year of experience is a hassle. I got my phlebotomy cert but ended up never using it. But here's what I learned from applying for jobs:

- you better know someone at a hospital that's hiring. preferably a nurse supervisor if not someone who does phlebotomy directly.
- look for a certification class that offers clinical training in a hospital. my class offered 2 wks clinical experience at the county hospital and the word was that if you impressed folks they would wave the 1 yr experience req
-be prepared to work nights at first. this is what killed it for me. The clinical for my class was an overnight shift and I didn't want to do that. When you're the jr in the phlebotomy dept you will be stuck with nights/weekends.
-don't apply blindly online through HR to hospitals. total waste of time. they either never get back to you. or send you a response 13 months later (yes this happened to me)

 

[mvenus929]

-be prepared to work nights at first. this is what killed it for me. The clinical for my class was an overnight shift and I didn't want to do that. When you're the jr in the phlebotomy dept you will be stuck with nights/weekends.

Really? My instructor worked at the major hospital in the next town from us, and said that graveyard shift was very rarely given to newbies, because there is so much responsibility involved (you don't have a direct supervisor, and you were largely responsible for morning run).

As far as weekends, there's the same deal. Of course, at the hospital I work at now, we're required to work every other weekend.

I will, however, agree that you will not tend to be hired for a full-time position. Most hospitals will give you either a part-time position (though it may be full-time in hours) or a PRN position when you first start out.

I also second the idea of getting into a class that has clinicals at the hospital. Unfortunately, my school was stupid and didn't get the paperwork together for me to do my clinicals at the hospital I'm working at (which would have been nice, because I could have essentially been trained for my job had I done clinicals there), and the hospital I did do my clinical at had a hiring freeze when I finished my program. Meh.

 

[PreMedEd]

Just wondering, where in the world can you get such a small length course?? Only 3 weeks for EKG and 6 for both? I looked it up at my Community College and I believe it is a lot longer than what you are saying and that's with 8 hours of class a day/ 5 days a week.. Considering this post made me very interested in pursuing this accreditation, but will try to do it next summer.

 

[pietachok]

Hmm, I have a limited phlebotomy certificate for blood draws of the arm/hand. I only took a one day course. It cost $50 for people who worked for the hospital where I took it, but I am not sure what it costs for outsiders.

I would ask other phlebotomists with the full certificate, how many jobs even want the full certificate...I think a lot of phlebotomists rarely move off the hand/arm :-/, in which case my type of certificate would suffice.

 

[mvenus929]

Hmm, I have a limited phlebotomy certificate for blood draws of the arm/hand. I only took a one day course. It cost $50 for people who worked for the hospital where I took it, but I am not sure what it costs for outsiders.

I would ask other phlebotomists with the full certificate, how many jobs even want the full certificate...I think a lot of phlebotomists rarely move off the hand/arm :-/, in which case my type of certificate would suffice.

It probably will, but keep in mind that employers want people who are going to do well in the job. If you only have a handful of sticks, you're probably not going to be all that good. I know when I was on my interview, my supervisor specifically asked what sort of class I took, and expressed a concern over the one day class that has been available to people in the past. And I know she isn't too happy with the two girls we have on staff who don't have a lot of experience behind them (one probably learned to stick people last summer, when she started the med tech internship at the hospital; the first part of that program is phlebotomy).

 

[pietachok]

Realistically, how much experience do you get in the 3 week course?

The vast majority of my experience simply came on the job. And I kind of think that for most training, that's going to be where you really hone your skills. Classmates often don't have the wide variety of conditions you see working in a real job, so the sticks are much easier. They also aren't fidgety 3 year olds who won't stop moving.

 

[PreMedEd]

And what about age requirements for the courses? I was looking at taking the classes (but registration has already come and passed by now) and I am only 17. Being trained could mean a possibility of working with the American Red Cross couldn't it?? And I think that working for the Red Cross would be a good addition to my MedApps when I eventually get there.

Back to the actual certification, how can it be the my community college offers a rediculous amount of time for this course and yet you can be certified for 50 dollars and a day of class. I didn't think it was like CPR training with the one day class, I know I wouldn't feel very safe if you had only a day of experience and were taking my blood.

 

[mvenus929]

And what about age requirements for the courses? I was looking at taking the classes (but registration has already come and passed by now) and I am only 17. Being trained could mean a possibility of working with the American Red Cross couldn't it?? And I think that working for the Red Cross would be a good addition to my MedApps when I eventually get there.

Back to the actual certification, how can it be the my community college offers a rediculous amount of time for this course and yet you can be certified for 50 dollars and a day of class. I didn't think it was like CPR training with the one day class, I know I wouldn't feel very safe if you had only a day of experience and were taking my blood.

It depends on what state you're in. I live in Colorado, and the American Red Cross, with the exception of the branch inside Evans Army Hospital, doesn't deal with blood at all. They leave it to Bonfils, who doesn't accept volunteers; rather, you go through their training program on how to stick people.

As far as the certifications, I had several people criticize me when I chose my program, because one of the girls at my school could get someone to come up and train a class in 8 hours. Scary, but true. Then again, physicians only get a day or so of training in med school, and they put in central lines...

 

[pietachok]

And what about age requirements for the courses? I was looking at taking the classes (but registration has already come and passed by now) and I am only 17. Being trained could mean a possibility of working with the American Red Cross couldn't it?? And I think that working for the Red Cross would be a good addition to my MedApps when I eventually get there.

Back to the actual certification, how can it be the my community college offers a rediculous amount of time for this course and yet you can be certified for 50 dollars and a day of class. I didn't think it was like CPR training with the one day class, I know I wouldn't feel very safe if you had only a day of experience and were taking my blood.

One day classes like the one I took are restricted certifications. They only teach you to do venous blood draws from the arm and hand. You can't do arterial blood draws, draws from the foot/leg/etc., or draws from an IV or any other line/port.

If you know you won't need the other skills in your job, there's no reason to get certified in them.

 

[mvenus929]

One day classes like the one I took are restricted certifications. They only teach you to do venous blood draws from the arm and hand. You can't do arterial blood draws, draws from the foot/leg/etc., or draws from an IV or any other line/port.

If you know you won't need the other skills in your job, there's no reason to get certified in them.

The vast majority of phlebs aren't allowed to do arterial draws (respiratory techs are usually trained to do that; I've only heard of one hospital that has it's phlebs do arterial sticks, and it was in the middle of Kansas). My program didn't teach me how to do draws from the foot/leg, because the hospital with which my instructor was affiliated with required a doctor's order to be allowed to draw from the foot. The exception, of course, was infant heel sticks. But we practiced those on foam feet. I didn't learn how to do any line draws (we aren't allowed to draw from peripheral IVs... the fluids contaminate the blood) until I started my job, but only nurses are allowed to actually do the draw; the phlebs just stand around and hand them supplies, then put the blood into the tubes. While we're perfectly capable of drawing out of lines, there's a lot of liability involved in doing so. I don't know of any programs that teach phlebs to do these.

The difference between an 8 hour program and a program that takes a few weeks (whether it's a semester, shorter, or longer) is that you get a ton more practice in the longer program (how many sticks can you realistically do in an 8 hour period when you have to both stick and be stuck? In my 4 hour classes, I only got about 4 sticks in any given class and you have to do some theory in the 8 hour class). Plus, you get more theory in the longer program: placement of the veins, treatment of collapsed/blown veins, tube additives, basic blood tests, how to do a capillary stick, etc.

 

[pietachok]

The vast majority of phlebs aren't allowed to do arterial draws (respiratory techs are usually trained to do that; I've only heard of one hospital that has it's phlebs do arterial sticks, and it was in the middle of Kansas). My program didn't teach me how to do draws from the foot/leg, because the hospital with which my instructor was affiliated with required a doctor's order to be allowed to draw from the foot. The exception, of course, was infant heel sticks. But we practiced those on foam feet. I didn't learn how to do any line draws (we aren't allowed to draw from peripheral IVs... the fluids contaminate the blood) until I started my job, but only nurses are allowed to actually do the draw; the phlebs just stand around and hand them supplies, then put the blood into the tubes. While we're perfectly capable of drawing out of lines, there's a lot of liability involved in doing so. I don't know of any programs that teach phlebs to do these.

The difference between an 8 hour program and a program that takes a few weeks (whether it's a semester, shorter, or longer) is that you get a ton more practice in the longer program (how many sticks can you realistically do in an 8 hour period when you have to both stick and be stuck? In my 4 hour classes, I only got about 4 sticks in any given class and you have to do some theory in the 8 hour class). Plus, you get more theory in the longer program: placement of the veins, treatment of collapsed/blown veins, tube additives, basic blood tests, how to do a capillary stick, etc.

Evidently in NY there is no licensing/certification required for phlebotimists--the certificate you get is just to prove to employers you were educated. In such circumstances, I am completely at a loss as to why ANYBODY would take the longer course. My course took ~4 hours, and I came out feeling perfectly fine for doing a stick on a healthy individual, and most of the patients I see are dehydrated, and I still never had a problem or acomplaint. If you are taking a multi-week course, I assume you start practicing on patients instead of just your classmates. If you only practice on your classmates, the lack of variation really dampens the value of that practice. If you are practicing on patients...well, then you didn't really do anything different than I did. I trust that most people would ask for assistance if they were uncomfortable b/c someone had really webby or rolling veins.

Of course if you live somewhere where you need the license/certificate, I guess you've gotta take a course, and if the course has to be a minimum length, you're stuck.

 

[medicalmatins]

Hey so I have decided to take a Phlebotomy course and maybe combine it with an EKG course for a discounted combination price. 3 weeks for as course in Phlebotomy, or 6 weeks for the combined EKG and Phlebotomy? You don't really need a certificate to practice EKG, but then how are people willing to have us in their labs? Will a certificate in Phlebotomy make up for no EKG certification?

-To those who have a Phlebotomy certificate, how did you find the jobs you did? I did a search today and most require at least 1 year of experience as a phlebotomist, and also experience in a "hospital setting".


How did you get the 1 year of experience before applying for a job? Do you just ask to volunteer in hospitals, or is it more harder than that? I was hoping after I get my certificate I could get right to getting a job...but I guess not

Thanks for all the help!

I took a phlebotomy course the summer after my freshman year, externed in a public hospital for 3 weeks the summer after my sophomore year, and slid right into an awesome job with a private laboratory in July. It was awesome. I know it's not a legit/special EC, but I really enjoy it and it's gotten me some patient contact, some manual dexterity, and some $$$.

Don't waste time "getting a year of experience." Find a place that needs a cheap phlebotomist. Or don't. If you're planning on medical school, then the phleb route might not really be advantageous unless you can slide into a job (like I did). It's not that unique, and you don't want to pour time/money into it if it's not going to increase your chances.

 

[mimine18]

Evidently in NY there is no licensing/certification required for phlebotimists--the certificate you get is just to prove to employers you were educated. In such circumstances, I am completely at a loss as to why ANYBODY would take the longer course. My course took ~4 hours, and I came out feeling perfectly fine for doing a stick on a healthy individual, and most of the patients I see are dehydrated, and I still never had a problem or acomplaint. If you are taking a multi-week course, I assume you start practicing on patients instead of just your classmates. If you only practice on your classmates, the lack of variation really dampens the value of that practice. If you are practicing on patients...well, then you didn't really do anything different than I did. I trust that most people would ask for assistance if they were uncomfortable b/c someone had really webby or rolling veins.

Of course if you live somewhere where you need the license/certificate, I guess you've gotta take a course, and if the course has to be a minimum length, you're stuck.

Hi i live in Long Island NY and wanted to know where you got your license from. I am looking to get it as i have more chances of landing jobs in hospitals as a CNA.

Thanks

 

[illegallysmooth]

I drew blood and did EKGs at work, all via on-the-job training. It shouldn't be too difficult to find a job that incorporates them - think NA, PCA, ITA, etc. (all nursing support staff). Classes are a waste of time and money.

 

[chicubsfan]

-don't apply blindly online through HR to hospitals. total waste of time. they either never get back to you. or send you a response 13 months later (yes this happened to me)

then how would you (or anyone else) suggest applying for this type of job?

 

[illegallysmooth]

then how would you (or anyone else) suggest applying for this type of job?

Directly contact an HR rep on the phone. Try to set up an appointment to speak in person if possible. Think about proactive job searching in addition to reactive (as in, reacting to a job posting).