Is Phlebotomy taught in Nursing school?

[amanda1266]

Hello, I'm hoping to get into nursing school next year but for now I am looking for something to do. I thought about the CNA course but it won't pay enough for me (I'm 30 years old and have bills to pay). I was wondering if phlebotomy is something they teach in nursing school or if it would be worth-wile to take the course at my local college. I definately don't want to take it if it's something that I will learn later on in nursing school. Thanks alot!

[CuriousMe]

Phlebotomy was one of the lab skills taught in my program, it wasn't a separate course. I did feel prepared enough to draw blood in the ED during clinicals though.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

The community college I attended for nursing school had a phlebotomy program, but it wasn't part of the nursing program.

[caliotter3]

I was taught phleb/ blood draws (w/butterfly, vacutainer, etc) & IV 2nd semester- then central and picc draws 3rd, can't imagine that stuff not being taught in NS.

Some nursing schools give more bang for your tuition buck.

[LETRN]

They were not taught in my program because it was through a hospital-affiliated college where only Lab did blood draws. It's kind of bit me in the butt now, though because I'm currently working in the ER where all the nurses do their own blood draws.

[kcochrane]

We were not taught in either my LPN or RN school. I don't think any schools in this area teach it. But I did learn when I got a job in the hospital - they do not use lab techs for blood draws. A few of my fellow LPNs ended up going to a local tech school and getting certified.

[mammac5]

My mother completed an RN program several years ago and was not taught how to draw blood...then she accepted a job in an outpatient pediatrics clinic a few years later. I taught her how to draw at my kitchen table so she'd know by the time she started her job!

Lots of inpatient settings use phlebotomists from the lab to get all their draws; they use IV teams to start lines. Not all nurses do these skills so many of us are not learning them in school.

[guiltysins]

I'm not sure about blood but we do IV lines. We might learn it at the same time but there isn't a seperate course for it that would make us certified phlebotomists. Some of my friends did get certified anyway, because they do use them in hospitals around here so maybe that's why it's not seen as important in our nursing curriculum who knows.

[RhodyGirl, RN]

We are not taught blood draws/IV starts in my program. One of the many reasons I am doing an internship this summer!

[CrazierThanYou]

I was taught phleb/ blood draws (w/butterfly, vacutainer, etc) & IV 2nd semester- then central and picc draws 3rd, can't imagine that stuff not being taught in NS.

Me either and I am rather baffled to hear that so many nursing schools aren't teaching it. I thought about taking a phlebotomy course over the summer but so many people said "Oh you'll learn it in nursing school anyway". Looks like maybe they were wrong!

[ally21]

No, which I thought was kind of nuts. We learned how to place ivs in the very last nursing lab of school. My nursing school really should re-evaluate their nursing labs and put some of the content in first year instead of waiting until the very end.

[jojo10]

By graduation I had drawn blood more times than I can count & placed at least 15 IVs. Maybe I should include my skills list with my resume- I have a signed proficiency list that we completed over the course of NS. Might help in the job hunt.

[CuriousMe]

No, which I thought was kind of nuts. We learned how to place ivs in the very last nursing lab of school. My nursing school really should re-evaluate their nursing labs and put some of the content in first year instead of waiting until the very end.

Wow that stinks. We did all of that first year, so we were able to then practice those skills in clinicals for the next two years (3 year program).