How to Become a Phlebotomist in Alaska

Entering a phlebotomy training in Alaska has never been so easy, as there are numerous educational institutions that offer quality training for those interested in this profession.

Our aim with this article is to encourage you to keep pursuing your dreams, as this is a popular career option and a well-paid one in the allied-medical health sector.

Getting acquainted with the basic duties of phlebotomists should be your first step towards determining whether this career is the right one for you and the main obligation is to draw blood from patients and send the samples to a laboratory for testing purposes or blood donation.

Besides these basic tasks, phlebotomists have additional duties, such as managing the blood records of a patient, explain the procedure to them, and maintain phlebotomy equipment.

In order to be recognized as a certified phlebotomist, you must enroll and complete a course program at an accredited college, vocational school, or private training center and then pass the certification exam.

Now, prospective phlebotomy students who are thinking of pursuing a phlebotomy certification course should know that there are some admission requirements, including eighteen years of age, and a high school diploma or GED.

In addition, each and every applicant must pass a criminal background check.

During your shifts as a phlebotomist, you will not only have to communicate with patients but also with other medical staff, so gaining experience will become your huge advantage if you decide to advance in your medical career in the future.

Phlebotomy Certification Requirements for Alaska

There are some states that require Phlebotomists to meet additional requirements so as to get certified, and some of them even oblige them to have a certification if they want to practice phlebotomy.

However, the state of Alaska is not one of them.

No matter if you do not need to get licenses, being a certified phlebotomist provides you with a lot of advantages and we always suggest our readers to consider gaining it.

First, you will be able to earn a higher salary and you will be given preference when applying for a job.

Secondly, certified professionals are always preferred by medical facilities and laboratories that hire new phlebotomists and you will not need to worry about your employment.

When the quality of the phlebotomy program is in question, it is worth mentioning that the training program that you decide to enroll in needs to be accredited by the NAACLS or the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences.

Required Skills

Phlebotomists need to be well trained and skilled as they are a crucial part of a laboratory technician team.

Besides the fact that they are expected to perform well all the medical duties, they need to have some personal characteristics that make a good phlebotomist.

During their daily shifts, they will constantly deal with people who may be frightened while giving blood.

This means that the best phlebotomist will need to possess a compassionate and empathetic attitude toward patients and console them in these difficult moments.

National Certifying Organizations For Phlebotomists

• American Medical Technologists. There are some requirements that applicants for this certificate must meet prior to applying and those are work experience and an oral or written exam. Once the certificate is achieved, the renewal is required every three years through CEU and re-examination.
• American Society for Clinical Pathology, These applicants must possess a required training or work experience, as well as an oral or written exam. The certificate has to be renewed every ten years through CEU.
• American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians, This organization offers certificates to applicants who successfully pass a practical exam and written exam. There is a requirement of annual CEUs to maintain certification.
• National Phlebotomy Association. This certificate can be achieved simply by passing an oral or written exam.

Best Schools Offering Phlebotomy Training in Alaska

Alaska Career College

Programs Offered: Phlebotomy Technician Training Program

School Website: www.alaskacareercollege.edu

In case you want to know more about Alaska Career College’s phlebotomy program, we would like to inform you that this educational institution has to offer a curriculum that is specially designed to train students in all aspects of blood sample collection.

During their studies, some of the subjects that students will need to attend are medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology.

The skills that they will become equipped will help them find employment once they finish their studies.

Besides the obligatory classroom learning, students will be trained in a modern laboratory so as to get ready for all the possible scenarios that they will later find in a medical environment.

If they manage to successfully complete the Alaska Career College’s phlebotomy program, students are eligible to sit for a national certification exam.

University of Alaska Anchorage

Programs Offered: Occupational Endorsement Certificate, Phlebotomist

School Website: www.uaa.alaska.edu

Another location where people from Alaska can find Phlebotomy programs is at the University of Alaska at Anchorage.

If you choose to enroll in its Occupational Endorsement Certificate program, you will need to achieve 29 or fewer credits to graduate.

The acceptance into this program is not allowed to everyone and to be enrolled, applicants must have a high school diploma, GED (or at least 60 college-level semester credits), and 18 years of age.

If you meet these requirements for enrollment in the program, you must earn a minimum grade of (C or higher or P) in the following three courses: MEDT A101 (Phlebotomy Procedures), MEDT A110 (Specimen Processing), and MEDT A195A (Phlebotomy Practicum) which will make you eligible for a national certification exam.

University of Alaska Fairbanks Community and Technical College

Programs Offered: Phlebotomy Training Program

School Website: www.uaa.alaska.edu

Alaska does not lack places where future phlebotomists can get proper education and the phlebotomy training program offered at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Community and Technical College is another great option.

This is a one-year curriculum that is well known and highly attractive among young generations as it meets accreditation guidelines.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Community and Technical College’s certificate program has a minimum requirement of 30-38 credits.

When it comes to admission requirements, applicants must complete and submit a completed application packet so as to be allowed to enroll and in case he/she is admitted, the school requires that each student has current documentation for numerous immunizations.

Career Academy

Programs Offered: Phlebotomy Training

School Website: www.careeracademyoftraining.org

At the Career Academy, aspiring phlebotomists can also find a course for phlebotomy technicians during which they will learn how the 40 most common laboratory tests are conducted.

Students will need to attend both practical sessions and classroom training.

If they manage to successfully complete the course, students become directly eligible for the NAACL state exams.

Job Prospects And Salary Expectations for Phlebotomists in Alaska

Those of you who have chosen phlebotomy as their future profession should not worry about the employment prospects.

Phlebotomy is a popular profession in the healthcare medical sciences industry in Alaska as well as in the whole USA.

A high job growth rate of around 26% is expected for phlebotomy technicians in the years to come.

When the salary is in question, many factors can play role in determining the salary of a phlebotomist.

The location of the facility and the experience level of the phlebotomist are just some of them.

In Alaska, the average annual salary of a phlebotomist is $39,281.

Annual Salary Range:

Regional Salary in Alaska