Phlebotomy question ( my moral brain in overdrive)

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I cannot apply until Sept for Jan. acceptance for nursing school. All pre-reqs will be done then.

Now knowing that...my boyfriends mother is a phlebotomist. She has been one for 25 years. She even teaches courses at a CC the next county over. She told me not to bother applying for her class and she also told me not to audit it....just show up ( which means I would get the class for free- which I think is not ethical considering the other people are paying for it)

According to HER ( her PERSONAL opinion) the nursing program here( at my CC) really S*ucks when it comes to teaching blood taking.etc on the nursing students.

My thought is that....I have heard a lot of people saying that " outside experience" can at *times* be just thrown out the door when it comes to the nursing program...you have to re-learn. So, if that's the case...should I bother?

My second though is that if I just *show up* I am stealing a free education when everyone else in the class is paying for it...I am very uncomfortable with that and when I told her that she said " bumpkus...I can teach you in my spare time...but since it's YOUR spare time..just SHOW UP".

My CC doesn't offer " phlebotomy" as a course. Not even training. However, considering I don't have "outside experience" I figure phlebotomy training can't hurt on my application...so I said you know..I will apply and pay for it. In which she said " Don't waste your money...I'll just train you outside class".

Uh...I won't be able to be put on my application! hello!

Anyway.. then I called my CC about it and they said it probably wouldnt matter that much but couldnt hurt

Sooooooooooooo would you:

A) pay to take the course

B) not pay and just show up

C) let her show you on free time

D) not bother

Specializes in ER.
If you are going to spend the time in the class...enroll and pay for it...the certificate is good to have and the experience is invaluable......any phleb training you will get in nursing school is not going to be as complete..and the skills and knowledge you learn are are worth your time and money... besides ...if you're going to spend the time in the class you deserve to get credit for it and receive the certificate

I totally agree. With everyone trying to sue medical professionals these days, the insurance is a biggie. Not to mention that if you were to just show up but not practice on a real person, you won't get the real value of it, which is learning to stick people well. The difference between a nurse who knows how to do a good stick and a nurse who has to try try try to get a vein is a HUGE difference to the patient (this is from my personal experience - my veins are so tiny I'm a horribly hard stick, but a good phlebotomist can usually get it on the first try). Huge painful bruises on both hands, both "elbow pits" and various points in between are NOT good souveniers from a hospital or doctor's office!

I'm getting ready to start as a clinical assistant in my ED (where I now work as registration) and as a part of my training, they're putting me through the hospital's phlebotomy training program so I can do lab draws on the job. I am really glad for this, because I want to have some experience sticking people before I learn IVs - I've heard it makes it much easier, plus you won't have the whole nervous hand shaking thing, because you'll be used to it.

I would pay for the class, take it like everyone else, and get the certification. That way, not only will you have something to show the nursing program, but as others have said, you will have a way to earn some money while in nursing school.

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