Help!! Any Phelbotomist, Experience or non experience

[Shonqueen1]

Hey, I am needing a little help. I am looking into getting into a patient care/phelbotomist class. I wanted to know if you could share some of your experience working as a phelbotomist? I know that it may be a very challenging career so I was thinking to get into this class and when I am finish with this class I will see if I am picked to get into the LPN class. The phelbotomist class is 15 weeks long so I want to make sure I am making a good choice. Thank you in advance.

[Rob72, ASN, RN]

Shonta, I'm fomerly ASCP certified, and (formerly) a Senior Phleb (hospital based instructor/TO). Pay attention to the A&P segments, it will benefit you, as you go on for your LPN, RN, etc.. Some facilities have phleb teams, some have nursing do their draws, so it is practical. Disturbingly, I find the attitude of, "its just..." sticking/lifting/carrying/documenting/etc., common among RNs.

Pay attention to the hows and whys of the procedures in phlebotomy, and how the proceudres impact the patient, as well as what the tests mean, and you'll be farther ahead in "critical thinking" than a good many BSN grads. (I can say this, I work for a University.)

[Shonqueen1]

Thanks Rob I have to attend a session meeting regarding some information for the class so hopefully I will find out some more useful information. I personally have had drawn done on me plenty of times and can look at the process when its done so I am not afraid maybe doing it for the first time I would be lol. But yesterday I went on youtube to look at some videos and I can tell you that a lot of people were doing their first draw. Yes I understand how you feel when you hear that but I look at it that a patient lives is in your hands and you really how to be professional at all times no matter what. The school that I am going to is really strict and that they make sure that there isn't any horse playing around. If I have the right mind and attitude to continue I should do okay.

[Rob72, ASN, RN]

:up: I wasn't afraid my first time. 'Course, we also had to do 10 sticks on our co-workers, and pass their critiques, before we were turned loose on the floors. Peer pressure is a great motivator for high performance!

[kalevra, BSN, RN]

I called my local college and they say that the programs for LPN is 12 months and RN is 4 years is very competitive and that I have to score 17 on the ACT test or 67 or higher on the compass test. And of coures all nursing schools here people have to take the Teas V test to get ranked to get accepted into the program.

The RN programs out here are competitive as well Sacramento State University has a TEAS V score of over 90 per person. As far as I know the programs are impacted, but its not as bad as the community college systems. American River College one of the CCs had over a thousand applications for like 70 slots. The university system like CSU Stanislaus had 200 applicants for their slots. Don't get freaked out about impacted programs, score high in you academics and getting in wont be a problem. Out here TEAS V is the norm as well.

You have less competition going for a traditional BSN route at the University system because in order to apply for their program you first have to be accepted into the school first, that is how most school out here do it anyway. In the community college system you take a compass test to evaluate your proficiency and you get in. No one gets turned away from the CC system because their grades weren't good enough. That means everyone and their grandma is possible competition for you. I wished someone had told me when I first started out. But good luck on everything!

[Shonqueen1]

Wow! That is a lot of pressure. I hope you all had to do a couple here and there and not all at one time lol. Thanks a bunches