How many LPN's had phlebotomy including in their course?

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Feb 6, 2011

Graduated in June 2008 and no phlebotomy class in school. We did have instruction on IV therapy, however in CT you cannot use the IV's unless you take an IV therapy course after you pass the NCLEX. My course was offered and required by my employer. I could not administer any meds through the IV unless I had this class. I believe it was 8 hrs per day for 2 days. I am now IV certified. However I cannot do phlebotomy unless I take a seperate class.

DogWmn · Feb 7, 2011

Graduated in June 2008 and no phlebotomy class in school. We did have instruction on IV therapy, however in CT you cannot use the IV's unless you take an IV therapy course after you pass the NCLEX. My course was offered and required by my employer. I could not administer any meds through the IV unless I had this class. I believe it was 8 hrs per day for 2 days. I am now IV certified. However I cannot do phlebotomy unless I take a seperate class.

Yes you can, read the link I provided and as an LPN you can take an online course and get certified.

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Feb 7, 2011

Ok, so your link says:

Route 4: High school graduation (or equivalent) AND successful completion of RN, LPN or other acceptable accredited allied health professional/occupational education which includes phlebotomy training and orientation in an accredited laboratory** with a minimum performance of 100 successful unaided blood collections including venipunctures and skin punctures. Applicants must submit a notarized copy of their current state/provincial license for RN or LPN or notarized copy of a certificate of completion from the accredited allied health program they completed along with the application form;

But how exactly would someone have a minimum performance of 100 successful unaided blood collections including venipunctures and skin punctures if they are NOT allowed by the State they reside in to even do ONE? I can see if maybe you work in a facility that trains you for phlebotomy (a few hospitals here will hire LPN's and give them the additional training in order to do phlebotomy and I'm assuming you aren't actually "certified") and you want the actual "certification" but other than that you would have to take classes in order to get that experience the link is talking about..

The only thing that certification does is if you want to get a job that wants a certificate in phlebotomy. It doesn't actually give you the experience/training to do it.

Anne36, LPN · Feb 7, 2011

Do Nurses even start IV's or draw blood in the hospital anymore? I was just visiting a relative in the hospital and the Nurse did not do any of that. They had a medical assistant trained in IV trying to get an IV started and she couldnt do it so she had to call over to the IV specialty services. I saw the Nurse pass meds and hang an IVPB but that was all she had to do with the IV line, except remove it when it went bad, but she wasnt the one who had to restart the IV.

starintn · Aug 1, 2011

I'm struggling with this phlebotomy issue right now. I completed my program in April 2011 and have my license. I've been applying to physician's offices but they expect us to pop out with phlebotomy training. We had IV therapy including inserting the catheters into brave fellow students and instructors but that was a separate course. I took that class. I've had several job interviews and as soon as they hear that I have no phlebotomy training, the handshake and thanks for coming are seconds away.

I've investigated several options--a local community college (40 hours over 6 weeks), a local tech school (36 hours over 5 weeks), a one day one stick class and today found a 2 day class. I'm investigating the 2 day class. All the classes cost within $50 of each other--the 36-49 hour classes tell you they will prepare you for the certification, the 1 day and 2 day do not. I just want to confidently learn to draw blood. I can't find anything on the 2 day program--I searched the company on the web but only found their site, no other skinny on them.

Any advice would be helpful!

Star

student forever · Jun 10, 2012

Ok,
The only thing that certification does is if you want to get a job that wants a certificate in phlebotomy. It doesn't actually give you the experience/training to do it.

I was considering it as an above poster said she could work at the hospital with this cert.

As a prn job, it might be an interesting thing to do. Any thoughts on this?

KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN · Jun 10, 2012

Do Nurses even start IV's or draw blood in the hospital anymore? I was just visiting a relative in the hospital and the Nurse did not do any of that. They had a medical assistant trained in IV trying to get an IV started and she couldnt do it so she had to call over to the IV specialty services. I saw the Nurse pass meds and hang an IVPB but that was all she had to do with the IV line, except remove it when it went bad, but she wasnt the one who had to restart the IV.

Some hospitals have IV therapy teams I believe, but not all of them. I know of one big hospital system in my area that did away with them to cut costs.

starintn · Jun 10, 2012

Well, the responses on who gets phlebotomy training or how one gets phlebotomy training are all over the page. I finally coughed up the money to take a 2 day training class and I've completed over 100 unassisted draws as a volunteer in a free medical clinic in our area. Good news--I was recently hired by the same clinic! Woo Hoo! Not making much but it's work I wanted to do.

I'm not certified, our state doesn't require it but I'm looking into what it takes this summer.

I still have a few RNs who come out of school who have never performed phlebotomy but all in all, at the LPN level, it's a skill that you can gain, should gain and can open up many doors. I've had 2 calls for interviews since I can check 'Phlebotomy Skills'. One would think that if an LPN or RN takes IV therapy that the course organizers would add the phlebotomy training in the same course since we had to do 2 or 3 successful IV insertions in my IV therapy class. Now that would be beneficial!

TxNurseJackie · Jun 10, 2012

I went to a vocational school and they were scared of everything. We couldn't practice starting IVs on each other because the "liability". Yet within the same school and a different campus the medical assistants sticked each other all the time. Any add certification with your license is a good thing. You'll be great at starting IVs later.

TaylorDeeLPN · Jun 11, 2012

Ours is not included in our curriculum either......

SinikRN101 · Jun 12, 2012

Obviously varies from state to state. I have my certification for both IV and phlebotomy in California. Graduated in 2008, got my cert. shortly thereafter. The instructors in my nursing program told me it was "post-graduate" skill and didn't offer the course. We went to an outside agency who offered a 2 day course and have had it ever since. They said they couldn't offer it in the course of the program because it was a post-graduate skill, all depends on each states BON though.

JenLPN001 · Jun 12, 2012

I graduated LPN school in 1989, in Virginia. At that time, phlebotomoy could not be taught in the LPN program but we all took a course in it about a week after graduation. Believe it or not, haven't stuck a vein since.