phlebotomy or similar type of course/job

[Raja]

I want to become a phlebotomist or a job similar to it. Do any of you guys know who offers these classes? The community colleges near me don't offer them. I know the ROP offers a Medical Assisting class--is that the equivalance to phlebotomy? I live in southern california by the way.

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[merlin]

I work in a blood bank and I know that you can learn phlebotomy that way. The only catch at the place I work at is they don't want to train you to draw blood until you've been there half a year. Good luck.

 

[Raja]

Thanks for the informative comments. I just want to follow up on your post.

Initially, what did you do at the blood bank? Was there a requirement to get in (like taking class or knowing something specific in working at a blood bank)? Also, do you work there just one or two days a week.. I only ask that because it'll be difficult for me to work each day because of college. Thanks again!

 

[CardiacGuy]

Raja,

The majority of phlebs at hospitals learned on the job. All that is required is usually a high school education. Go and check it out.

Good Luck,

 

[jean]

Raja

I was a phlebotomist in So. Cal. I got my cetificate through Boston Reed Co. if you're in S.D. they offer this weekend program at Scripps if not they may be on the internet. But its difficult to get a job without prior experience, besides a blood bank the best place to look is at a local doctors office they're always looking for utility personel.

 

[Raja]

How do you learn it on the job? I mean, which job would you take to learn it.. or do you mean you would be a volunteer and they'd teach you after some time?

 

[lady in red]

Raja,
don't mean to discourage you; I was told and agree that phlebotomy is not the safest job b/c of all the needle sticks you get. you can be as careful as you want, but if the pt. moves or throws the arm off, you might be stuck. you never know what they have, but doing this on a daily basis shoots up the probability of you getting a stick from someone with hepC or HIV, especially in So. Cal. its not that the job is dangerous but the fact that you do it so much, and thats the only thing you do increases your chances. personal story--i did that for a while, and was drawing from a HIV+ kid. He was very nervous and was crying, finally twisting his arm and directing the needle at me and sticking me. I DID NOT KNOW he was HIV+ and would have NEVER suspected, the nurse told me later. Luckily, I got tested later gazillion times and did not get it. its a great job if you want to do it and its easy, just be careful.

 

[Ciardeme]

Raja, go to a teaching hospital. Although i was trained in a real phlebotomy program, i soon found it was not necessary. Here is a scarey statistic. My orientation class was only given 3 sticks before they were sent out to the floor! Keep this in mind when you are on the other side of the needle someday!

 

[Raja]

ouch. That's a scary thought. I'll try NOT to keep that in mind next time I have my blood drawn, heh.

Would I simply begin volunteering at a teaching hospital and ask how to draw blood or how does that work out? I'm not sure if there are teaching hospitals near me, but I'll ask.. please let me know if this is the way to go at it or not..

 

[oldman]

I am working as a phlebotomist in a small hospital. They are desparate for help, so I got the job despite only 1 year of experience pushing drugs into animals. In Minnesota there is not a licensing procedure for becoming a phlebotomist. I think most states have not formalized anything except for California.

 

[HPSP]

I work part time as a phlebotomist for a friend who manages a lab. I spent one day observing, spent the next day doing (supervised) and draw now three times a week(10 to 20 draws a day). All the work I do is in nursing homes. It is really not very hard.
I would agree with the previous poster who talked about safety. I am very safety concious and have never experienced an accidental stick but I am pretty strong and know that most of the pt's I deal with are not all there. So I am allways expecting something. A lot of the places now use sheathed or auto re-sheathing needles for safety so this helps protect you but makes for a more difficult "stick" in some of the geriatric pt's that I deal with.

 

[mdhopeful]

Hi Raja,

I took the Boston Reed course in Oakland a few years ago. It was OK, but I felt I needed the course before I could try and get experience. As others have mentioned, it is difficult to get a job without experience. And it is difficult to get experience even at free clinics. I did some phlebotomy last year for a few months in a county jail and it was intense. No matter where you get trained, experience is all that matters. I wouldn't worry about the accidental sticks to much. Where I drew blood the inmates had a 30% or so HIV prevalence among other diseases. Just be careful and you will be fine. Good luck.

 

[megkudos]

Go to local hospitals and inquire. Most will hire you and train you on the job. I've been working for 2 1/2 years and have yet to get stuck....knock on wood...so if you are careful you should be ok...of course there is always an inherent danger, but.....