Phlebotomy Schools – The Basics of Phlebotomy Training

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As the number of aging Americans increase, the demand for qualified healthcare professionals grow at a steady pace.  One of the medical professions that will continue to be well in demand at least for the next decade is the phlebotomist. A phlebotomy is trained to draw, collect and store blood that can be used for medical analysis or transfusion.  Since the demand for phlebotomists has grown in hospitals, private clinics and laboratories, the number of phlebotomy schools offering training in this field has likewise increased.

There are some schools that offer programs which last from 8 to 24 months.  An associate or a bachelor's degree in phlebotomy can also be obtained, although most students prefer to take shorter courses that can simply help them pass the phlebotomy certification exam.  There are also phlebotomy courses offered online although it is still necessary for a student to go through actual clinical practice before taking the phlebotomy certification exam.  

A good phlebotomy training program is one that is recognized by the United States Department of Education and any of the ten accrediting agencies.  The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) is one of these accrediting agencies that has accredited and listed about  59 schools in their website.  The curriculum of these schools meet the standards set by the Clinical and Laboratory Sciences Institute (CLSI) and these schools use materials approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). 

Short-term certificate courses can be completed in as early as 12 weeks or as long as a year.  Phlebotomy schools offering these courses sometimes offer associate and bachelor degrees for programs running from two to four years.  The cost of these programs varies from $1500 to $3000.  Certificate courses also have the clinical component or internship that lasts about 40 hours in an accredited laboratory, hospital or medical facility.

In states where certification is required for practicing phlebotomists, schools have to meet higher standards.  The states of California and Louisiana are the only two states that currently require phlebotomy certification. 

The Complete Phlebotomy Training (CPT) organization located in California conducts three classes on phlebotomy which meet the requirements of the state.  The CPT is recognized by the California Department of Public Health, Laboratory Field Services.  The courses start with Basic 101, which teaches the main principles of anatomy, infection control, physiology and other basic phlebotomy theories. 

After finishing this 20-hour course, students can proceed to Advanced 102, where they can learn more about the cardiovascular system and the errors in drawing and storing blood that should be prevented. This second course lasts for about 20 hours.

The last step of the course is Clinical 103 where students are taught the fundamentals of blood collection using phlebotomy equipment.   The course runs for approximately 40 hours and the students are then introduced to hands-on work guided by an experienced instructor.  The CPT course costs about $1750 which covers the tuition fee, a one-time registration fee and cost of books. 

There are also courses ran by some phlebotomy schools for practicing phlebotomists who may want to upgrade their knowledge or prepare for re-certification which is required by some states every one or two years.