It is important to be certified as a Phlebotomist in order to find employment. Phlebotomist actually are not required to be certified, however it is very difficult to get hired without the Certification. After all drawing blood is a rather invasive technique, and most facilities are simply not comfortable hiring someone that does not have the proper education and skills base. The phlebotomy certification lets the facility know that you have completed an accredited course that has given you the skills needed to be successful in the field. There are three different accrediting bodies that you can receive your certification from: American society of pathology, Association of Phlebotomy Technicians, National Phlebotomy Association. It does not necessarily matter which you are certified through, all of them are accepted nation wide.
Each of them however have different demands for their
Phlebotomy certification. Each of them require the student to attend a Phlebotomist program, they also require a minimum of 200 hours of classroom and clinical time combined for certification. You will be required to document all venipunctures and blood draws. Be sure that the Phlebotomist program that you attend is accredited and meets the standards for at least one of these certifying boards. Be sure that the program offers a clinical internship or else you will need to gain this experience on your own before receiving your phlebotomy certification. This experience can be found if needed by volunteering at blood centers and or hospitals. Becoming certified with any of these organizations does allow you to work as a Phlebotomist almost anywhere in the United States.
There are some places that have special requirements for practicing phlebotomy, such as california. Take care to make sure that where you live and where you plan to practice accepts the certification you are receiving. The certifying bodies mentioned above do allow for work in the United States in about 90% of the nation. The Certification process is different for each certifying body, so be sure to be well educated on which is best for you and which certifying body your Educating institution is preparing you to certify with. They are all relatively the same, and provide the same professional testing and certifications. If you are however interested in working in California there are three different levels of certification one can get. The payscale for the phlebotomist goes up with each certification, so it is a good idea to get these certs if that is the area you will be practicing in.