A phlebotomist does more than just draw blood. Phlebotomists are responsible for preparing and disinfecting the puncture site, taking patient histories, preparing samples for the lab, and working with a number of other medical professionals, from doctors to lab technicians. Therefore, if you are interested in pursuing a career in phlebotomy, your education will have to encompass all of these things.
Fortunately, when it comes to phlebotomist training programs, you have a multitude of options, from online courses to colleges and universities. It may be difficult to sort through all of these options in order to find what’s best for you, so it is important to do your research so as to make a well-informed decision. This list of five reasons to obtain phlebotomy training in a formal classroom setting should help:
1 Hands-on Training
In order to qualify to sit for a phlebotomist certification examination, you must have a certain number of verifiable hours doing the thing you are training to do: drawing blood. Enrolling in a classroom-centered phlebotomist training program automatically enables you the convenience of on-site training. Conversely, if you opt to take online training, you may be burdened with the responsibility of finding an internship or externship that will allow you that opportunity.
2 Student Collaboration and Input
When you attend phlebotomist courses in person, in a classroom, you have the opportunity to meet other like-minded students. Being able to combine your ideas and insights with those of others is invaluable to giving you a broader perspective in your training. Additionally, getting to know other students face-to-face allows you the opportunity to create study groups.
3 Instructor Guidance
There is no substitute for seeing and hearing an instructor deliver a lesson right in front of you.
4 Immediate Feedback
If you don’t understand something, or you need help, you can get feedback right away in a classroom setting. All you have to do is raise your hand. This is as opposed to Internet courses, where you might have to send an email and wait for a reply.
5 Discipline
For some people, finding the discipline to work outside of a regimented classroom setting can be very hard. Finding the time (and motivation) to squeeze online courses into a busy schedule can be difficult in comparison to having a class syllabus, assigned homework, and a teacher looking over your shoulder to make sure you’re staying on track.
When trying to decide on a phlebotomist training program, be sure to consider all of your options. Not every program is right for every person, but these are just some reasons for why classroom training may be right for you.
About the Author: Deborah Blair is a full-time writer with a passion for healthcare careers. She currently contributes content to series of growing career sites, including phlebotomist-training.org.