Phlebotomy?

i cannot tell you about certified phlebotomy programs. in most hospitals where i have worked this was generally an on the job training kind of thing. to become a phlebotomist, call around to the local hospitals where you live and find out how to accomplish this in your area.

however, i can tell you a great deal about iv therapy, as i was a certified rn, intravenous (crni). to start an iv you must be an rn in most states in the u.s. although some states have amended their state nursing laws to allow lpns/lvns to also do this with some restrictions. emts and paramedics may also start ivs on the job, but are trained to do this. in both the case of rns or lpn/lvns you need a nursing license first before you are allowed to puncture and insert an intravenous device in any patient's vein. iv therapy is generally something that most hospital nurses are expected to learn how to do as part of their general skills. however, there is also a group of nurses who feel this is a specialty (infusion nurses society) and they offer a national certification in it. to become certified you must be an rn, have worked at least 2,000 hours performing iv therapy and take and pass a test that covers the principals and standards of iv therapy. as an iv therapist i was trained to not only start peripheral ivs, but to insert picc lines, declott central iv catheters and repair damaged hickman and triple lumen central lines. we drew blood as a courtesy to the lab and so the patients we were working on wouldn't have to sustain a second stick by the phlebotomists.

first, go to nursing school and get a nursing license. then, go into the specialty of iv therapy.