Stacy Adams

Thursday, October 20, 2011

How To Become A Phlebotomist In NY
                                     



Deciding to become a phlebotomist is an excellent choice for a career in the medical field. The pay averages around $30-35,000 annually and the training period is relatively short for this valued profession. You maybe surprise to learn that it only takes four months to complete phlebotomy training in New York. In addition, you only need to complete 200 practice hours and accomplish 100 correct blood draws to receive a phlebotomy certification in the State of New York.

A good option for phlebotomy training in New York City or other major cities, is hands-on or on the job training in a good medical environment. This is sufficient because in big cities the demand for phlebotomy is much greater. Generally, city hospitals are busy and the need for staff to train more employees to draw blood is vital.

Phlebotomy training in New York City is offered at the Manhattan Institute, which is an accredited career school that has a phlebotomy certification program. In addition to the course requirements, MI stresses the importance of drawing blood in a systematic order to avoid mistakes and possible contamination. The recommended order that phlebotomists should follow is important. This specific order is seldom taught by tutors during on the job training.


York College is another institution that offers Phlebotomy Training in New York City. They have a nine-week program for three hours a week. Students receive live instructions where they practice drawing blood using mannequins. Hostos Community College also prepare potential phlebotomists for careers in New York. Hostos Community College is located in the Bronx area.In Long Island, Queens, and Staten Island, potential phlebotomist can receive free training at the North Shore Health System. North Shore is a non-profit medical system that provides free continuing medical training to its employees. The training is presented by the staff and employees received certificates after completing phlebotomy or other medical training. North Shore is supported by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education by the State of New York.

Currently, only Louisiana and California require phlebotomists to be certified to work in medical facilities. Amazingly, neither New York and 47 other states do not have mandatory testing or certification requirements for phlebotomists. However, New York does mandate that phlebotomists have specific training and certain skills for this occupation. The certification requirements for a New York phlebotomist are:
  •  A diploma, or an associate degree, or bachelors degree, from an accredited school
  •  200 practice hours
  •  100 correct blood draws in a medical setting.
  •  A degree in Medical Technology or Life Science is highly regarded and recommended by The New York Medical Society.
In addition to getting certified, medical facilities expect phlebotomists to possess certain skills. They should:
  •  Be capable of using good judgments
  •  Be able to work under pressure
  •  Exhibit problem solving abilities
  • Computer skills are necessary because lab equipment will generally be automated equipment.
A trained phlebotomist is vital to any health care system. The main responsibility of a phlebotomist is to draw blood, as well as other specimens, and deliver them for clinical analyses. They also draw blood for transfusions and donations. These specialists work in hospitals, clinics, doctor offices, home health agencies, blood banks, etc. The phlebotomist expectations also include good record keeping, helping to process insurance claims, as well as data entry. The outlook for employment is great because phlebotomists are needed in every medical setting.

Courses in Chemistry, Statistics, Management, Laboratory Procedures, and Computer Science, are necessary for a degree in Medical Technology or Life Science. To obtain a phlebotomy diploma, prospective students should enroll in the closest institution that have a phlebotomy training and certification program.

Apart from the schools already mentioned, other academies offering phlebotomy training in New York are:

  • 1. Branford Hall Career Institute (Bohemia )
  • 2. Suburban Technical School (Hempstead)
  • 3. Wood Tobe-Coburn School
  • 4. Everest Institute (Rochester)


 

Additional Resources:

New York Phlebotomy Technician Training
ASA Continuing Education/Phlebotomy
MANDL Associate Degree Programs