Phlebotomy

KacyLynnRN · Jul 29, 2004

I live in Indianapolis and thought about being a phlebotomist before I went into nursing, unfortunately the only program I could ever find in Indiana was at Ivy Tech. I figured out that I would make more and get to do more as an LPN and get out in the same amount of time, so I went for that instead. I get to draw blood at work all the time so I guess it worked itself out...

:) Kacy

P.S... Most Ivy Tech locations offer a phlebotomy course that is one semester in length, it is just a course that teaches you the basics of phlebotomy, you don't get ceritifed or anything...If you're wanting to learn just for your own knowledge, that is an option for you.

tonicareer · Jul 29, 2004

Ivy Tech requires about 3 or 4 semesters of course work before the Phlebotomy class can be taken. I do want the class to get a job. Other states do not require all this- they take about 3 days to 10 weeks to get certified.

tmiller027 · Jul 30, 2004

The Ivy Tech South Bend campus offers a 16 credit hour course that allows you to get certified I believe.

tonicareer · Jul 30, 2004

Apparently even though Ivy Tech is supposed to be statewide they have very different requirements on each campus. I have 3 of those classes that South Bend requires with a 4.0 but the campuses near me require a 2 year list of courses before you can take the phlebotomy class and they do not offer an externship which kind of makes it worthless because you aren't getting practical experience. What is wrong with this state? Makes no sense to me. I hope the CNA class I plan to take 3 hours away does not get cancelled and helps me get a job so I can move from the stupid county I am in. I played phone tag all day trying to find a phlebotomy class within a decent distance. None in my entire county! The one at my local Ivy Tech keeps getting cancelled due to no instructor and low enrollment and the fact it is not properly accredited. I called the hospital and they said they train some employees themselves because of this but they are not hiring right now. I called the red cross and several other places and they said they had difficulty hiring because no one around here trains. Ok no more venting.

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Jul 30, 2004

Have you thought about the Red Cross? They are hiring here and training their new hires in phlebotomy. They're paying about $9/hr in my area (Louisville, KY).

tonicareer · Jul 31, 2004

The red cross does not train in my state. I called the local office and surrounding counties. Like I said Indiana is really bad for health education - probably why there is so much unemployment here. They don't even have CNA training in my entire county! I am going out of the county for it (hopefully it won't be cancelled again).

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Jul 31, 2004

Wow- that sucks! I hope you find what you need. I don't know if you're near IUN, but they have a phleb. certification program: http://www.iun.edu/~ahealth/clinical/phleby.shtml

That's the only actual program I know of in IN. And you're right- IN sucks as far as allied health education.

tmiller027 · Jul 31, 2004

Apparently even though Ivy Tech is supposed to be statewide they have very different requirements on each campus. I have 3 of those classes that South Bend requires with a 4.0 but the campuses near me require a 2 year list of courses before you can take the phlebotomy class and they do not offer an externship which kind of makes it worthless because you aren't getting practical experience. What is wrong with this state? Makes no sense to me. I hope the CNA class I plan to take 3 hours away does not get cancelled and helps me get a job so I can move from the stupid county I am in. I played phone tag all day trying to find a phlebotomy class within a decent distance. None in my entire county! The one at my local Ivy Tech keeps getting cancelled due to no instructor and low enrollment and the fact it is not properly accredited. I called the hospital and they said they train some employees themselves because of this but they are not hiring right now. I called the red cross and several other places and they said they had difficulty hiring because no one around here trains. Ok no more venting.

I know what you mean Toni, this state seems to be about 10 years behind the rest of the country. I had a terrible time finding CNA training. Luckily, I found a nursing home that does their own training and was lucky enough to get hired by them.

My wife is planning on taking the phlebotemy at the South Bend campus. SHe wanted to take classes to be a physical therapy assistant, but only one school here offers it (Michiana College) and they don't have much of a reputation.

Nursing programs aren't much better, Ivy Techs fills super fast and they use some automated computer test to determine who gets in, IUSB and Goshen College only have BSN programs which left me with Bethel College's ADN which I managed to get into. Bethel seems to be a really good school though, so it works out. Anyway, I agree, this state relies too much on manufacturing and needs more health education to keep up with demand.

BernieRN · Jul 31, 2004

phlebotomist| top |

a phlebotomist, phlebotomist/representative, or phlebotomy technician collects and processes blood samples to be analyzed in the laboratory, utilizes computers and may perform bedside testing. phlebotomists hold a high school diploma, have completed a phlebotomy training program or have equivalent experience, and have passed the certification examination. the south bend medical foundation will consider training qualified applicants.

hope this helps!

tonicareer · Jul 31, 2004

Thanks for the confirmation about Indiana being the pits. I live a rural county no where near much. Our Ivy Tech is so behind the times it is ridiculous. They shove people in to the child development degree (no jobs in that) and the medical assistant degree (not many jobs in that either). I will go out of the county to take a CNA class then hopefully move. It seems like the best classes are at the far north of Indiana or the far south of Indiana. Like Gary, South Bend, Evansville and Terre Haute. I just live in the wrong place.

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2004

As part of my work as a tech, I had to learn to do blood draws. We don't have dedicated personnel to handle specimen collection and EKG's. We're it. Learning was a see one, do one, teach one exercise. The on the job training was supplemented by an 8-hour inservice course on the tubes, the media in the tubes, which tubes do what and the order of the draw, different collection systems, etc.

It was total on the job training. I'm not sure however if that kind of experience will serve in lieu of a certification if one were looking for a position as a phlebotomist.