Phlebotomy Training and Career Guide Phlebotomy Training Resources and Guides for becoming Certified as a Phlebotomist!
Phlebotomy Training in the Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area is a densely populated region of California that includes cities, urban, and rural areas alike. With an amazing number of outdoor activities to enjoy, a vibrant culture to explore, and many large companies calling the Bay Area home, this is a great option in destinations to live, to work, and to play.
The Bay Area is known for liberal politics, diversity, and of course an amazing natural beauty that everyone can appreciate. More than 7,440,000 million people call the Bay Area home. The popularity and population of the area does lead to a cost of living that can be considered high when compared to other parts of the country. However that is also reflected in the salary that you can expect to earn as a phlebotomist. The average salary for a Phlebotomist in the Bay Area is $32,000.
Getting Certified as a Phlebotomist in California:
As we mentioned in our Phlebotomy certification guide for California, the State of California requires a bit more in terms of certification from those working in the medical field. While some states do not require phlebotomists to get certified prior to working with patients, California definitely does. Beyond that, California also requires that phlebotomists get certified on the state level as well. Certification is overseen by the California Department of Public Health.
In general, those who can perform the duties of a phlebotomist are physicians, nurses, clinical lab scientists, and of course certified phlebotomists. Medical assistants are only permitted to do the duties of a phlebotomist in a physician’s office.
The State of California offers three types of phlebotomy certifications:
1. The Limited Phlebotomy Technician (LPT). This phlebotomist can only perform
finger stick draws
2. The Certified Phlebotomy Technician-1 (CPT-1). This phlebotomist can perform
both finger stick draws, and venipuncture draws
3. The CPT-2. This phlebotomist can perform finger sticks, venipuncture and also
arterial blood draws
Even with certification in hand, phlebotomists are not permitted to do any type of testing
on patients. This means that they can’t do point of care tests that include breath tests,
or glucose tests. Certified phlebotomists may only draw blood with the order of a
licensed physician, and must be supervised.
The Process of Obtaining Phlebotomy Certification in the Bay Area
There are quite a few requirements to meet in order to obtain your phlebotomist
certification in the Bay Area, and the requirements differ between the three types of
phlebotomy certifications.
The Limited Phlebotomy Technician (LPT) must be a high school graduate, or have
passed an equivalency exam. The LPT student must have completed 20 hours of basic
training at a California approved program, and also have completed 25 successful
needle sticks on patients. With certificate of completion in hand, students will be
awarded certification.
The Certified Phlebotomy Technician-1 (CPT-1) must demonstrate having graduated
from high school, or an equivalency exam. The student must have completed 20 hours
of basic training, 20 hours of advanced training, 40 hours of practical training, and must
have also completed 10 successful skin punctures and 50 successful venipunctures.
The CPT-2 must have on the job experience working as a CPT-1, and also have 1040
hours of work experience within the past five years. An additional 20 hours of advanced
classes must be completed, as well at 20 successful arterial punctures, under
supervision.
Transferring National Certifications, Renewals, and Refreshers:
If you have been working as a phlebotomist outside of California, once you move to the
Bay Area you will need to do your part to obtain your California-approved certifications.
The state requires that all individuals working as a phlebotomist obtain the right training
and certifications prior to working in the healthcare field. Your nationally recognized
credentials will not be sufficient to work in the State of California.
Once you have your certification in hand, you’ll be able to work in any medical facility in
California. It is up to you whether you want to continue to maintain your national
certification, but it is not required by the state.
Once you have your certification, it will be good for two years. It is important to stay on
top of the renewal process so that you don’t find yourself without the ability to do the
work that you love.
Many training facilities offer phlebotomy refresher courses to those who may have
otherwise been out of the game for a while, or for those who are just looking to stay up
to date on techniques and procedures.
Finding an Approved Training Facility in the Bay Area:
There are quite a few training facilities approved by the state to offer phlebotomy
training courses. The trick is to find that one that will meet all of your needs. Many
colleges offer opportunity for furthering your education, so be sure to look into all
available training so that you can achieve all of your career goals.
De Anza College, Cupertino:
De Anza College is in Cupertino, home to many tech companies. The college offers a
lot of medical training courses, including phlebotomy. State of the art facilities and
offering day, evening and online classes makes this a good school choice for the busy
professional.
You can visit the school’s website here:
https://www.deanza.edu/healthtech/
Bay Area Medical Academy (two locations):
Bay Area Medical Academy offers two campus locations, one in San Jose and one in
San Francisco. This education facility is a great choice for the student looking to obtain
all levels of phlebotomy certification. This school is just one of two in San Francisco
approved by the California Department of Public Health approved to offer CPT-1
certification.
You can visit their website here:
https://www.bamasf.com/programs
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa Junior College in pretty Santa Rosa will guide students toward obtaining his
or her CPT-1 certification. Classroom, lab, and hands-on clinical experience is a part of
this training program.
Click here to visit Santa Rosa’s website.
