CERTIFIED PHLEBOTOMY TECHNICIAN (CPT)

Course Objective/Purpose:

Phlebotomist program is an intensive nine weeks long course with an additional three-week clinical internship/externship making a total of 186 hours.  The course train students on how to obtain and prepare blood and body fluid samples from patients for laboratories, with coursework in health and safety procedures, collection techniques, patient care, general anatomy, and medical terminology properly and safely. Curriculum also involves a clinical and externship component for direct experience and application.

Classes in these programs provide the technical skills and knowledge required to perform daily duties. Students in this program examine the legal and business aspects of the field with courses like: Professionalism in a medical setting, Medical communications, Healthcare law, Patient care basics, Universal safety procedures.  

This course of instruction prepares individuals for entry-level jobs as Phlebotomist.  Phlebotomists work in many different facilities, including private and hospital laboratories, blood banks, medical offices, and clinics. They typically work under the direction of a laboratory manager or medical technologist. Possible job titles, besides phlebotomist, include: Blood drive worker, Medical technician, or a Medical laboratory assistant.                                                                                                                                                                       

This training program covers information about patient care, anatomy, disease control and medical-testing equipment. Students will learn how to comfort nervous patients and how to recognize if a patient is about to faint. Students are also trained on the different types of needles used for gathering blood, proper needle insertion and puncture-wound treatment. 

Upon completion of this program the student will successfully: Demonstrate knowledge of the health care delivery system and medical terminology. Demonstrate knowledge of infection control and safety.  Demonstrate basic understanding of the anatomy and physiology of body systems. Associate the major areas / departments of the clinical laboratory with the laboratory tests ordered to evaluate a patient’s pathologic condition / illness.  Demonstrate understanding of the importance of specimen collection in the overall patient care system.  Demonstrate knowledge of collection equipment, various types of additives used, special precautions necessary and substances that can interfere in clinical analysis of blood constituents.

Demonstrate proper techniques to perform venipuncture and capillary puncture.  Demonstrate understanding of requisitioning, specimen transport and specimen processing.  Demonstrate understanding of quality assurance in phlebotomy.  Demonstrate understanding of the basic concepts of communications, personal and patient interaction, stress management, professional behavior, and legal implications of the work environment