Phlebotomy Training in West Virginia

Getting ready for a new career in the exciting medical field is a worthwhile venture, and there are a number of facilities that offer dynamic phlebotomy training that prepares students for nationally recognized certification. Although it is not required to be licensed to perform the job functions of a phlebotomist in the state of West Virginia, you will find that having it expands your job opportunities tremendously. Because phlebotomists draw blood samples from patients, they need to be able to handle working with people of all types, including those afraid of the process and small children.

Prerequisites for Phlebotomy Courses in West Virginia

To get into a great training program that offers phlebotomy classes in West Virginia, there are a few prerequisites to consider. You must be at least 18, and also possess a GED or certificate of graduation from high school. Student candidates need to be in good health, as well as current on certain vaccinations. A full physical that includes testing for tuberculosis is normal for most schools to require. If you plan to get your phlebotomy education at a community college or university, there may be additional tests required to confirm your reading, writing, and mathematics competency.

Description of Phlebotomy Training in West Virginia

The early courses during your phlebotomy training will primarily cover the main aspects of working in a medical environment and will include learning basic medical terminology, human anatomy, and proper methods of labeling, storing, and documenting blood samples. Classes progress to more in-depth topic that include the vein system, and how this affects the process of experiencing successful punctures. The final part of your training program will include hands-on experience where you actually perform the practice on actual subjects. You will need a certain number of hours in a lab setting before you qualify certification with an accredited phlebotomy organization in West Virgina, so choose you program wisely.

For you to be able to get a phlebotomy certification, you ought to complete a course in the field of phlebotomy, a training course which is more or less mandatory to be able to get any kind of certification in phlebotomy. Phlebotomy training course is also often a prerequisite in order to get employed as phlebotomist at most healthcare facilities. Depending on where you undertake your training, the course could be slightly different, but most basic concepts are the same. The main topics covered in any certified West Virginia phlebotomy training school are:

Blood sampling – be advised that the procedure of collecting blood will vary from person to person and different situations will call for different ways of doing the same. As such, as a phlebotomist, you will need to know the best method to collect a blood sample, in the quickest and most painless way possible. For instance, collecting a sample of blood from an obese person is quite different from collecting the same from a child
Professional etiquette – a training in professional etiquette equip learners with the skills to interact with patients, behave appropriately when around patients and staff, and avoid behaviors that will make patients uncomfortable.
Computer training – at this time and age, computer literacy is a prerequisite since all hospitals today use computers to track important patient information. Computer training as a phlebotomist may include keeping track of records, entering data, or updating patient’s records.
CPR—while not a requirement in all programs, some training programs would require one to be certified in CPR as the knowledge and skills acquired come in handy in cases of emergency.
Lab safety – for you to be a competent phlebotomist, you ought to be comfortable using all types of laboratory equipment and to be aware of all lab safety procedures, hence the need for some formal training.
Blood composition – for you to be able to understand the effect of pathogens on blood, you ought to first understand the composition of blood because as a phlebotomist, you might be called upon to get a blood sample from a patient with an infectious disease; hence it is good to have some background knowledge on how the blood could be affected.
Human anatomy – most training courses in phlebotomy offer classes that focus of equipping learners with the knowledge of human anatomy. Because you will be dealing with the human body, more specifically veins, it pays to know how the circulatory system functions and prime locations for drawing blood etc.

Expected Phlebotomist Salary in West Virginia

On average, a phlebotomist in West Virginia can expect to make an average salary of $32,000, which is current with the national average. Additional income comes along with experience and additional accreditation.

Top Phlebotomy Institutions in West Virginia

Southern West Virginia Community & Technical College
Logan Campus
PO Box 2900
Mount Gay, WV 25637
(304) 792-7098

West Virginia University
Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center
One Medical Center Drive
P.O. Box 9600
Morgantown, WV 26506
(304) 347-1206

Phlebotomy Courses in Huntington, West Virginia
Marshall University
Clinical Laboratory Science Department
1 John Marshall Drive
Huntington, WV 25755
(304) 696-3188

Pierpont Community and Technical College
1201 Locust Avenue
211 Education Building
Fairmont, WV 26554
(304) 367-4284

Bluefield Regional Medical Center
500 Cherry Street
Bluefield, WV 24701
(304) 327-1575