How to Become a Phlebotomist in New Mexico

Being that you are reading this article, phlebotomy is the career field that interests you, and becoming a phlebotomist is a wise decision as this is taken as one of the fastest-growing career fields.

As you want to work in the healthcare sector, you will need to gain the proper education for this field, as not everyone can take the responsibility of drawing blood samples from patients.

How important your job will be is shown by the fact that the samples you take will be sent to a lab for diagnostic tests and they will help to determine possible illnesses, infections, or disease which will thus save a patient’s life.

Phlebotomy Certification Requirements for New Mexico

The state of New Mexico has no set rules related to phlebotomy technicians and certification requirements, but you need to have in mind that most reputable employers will want you to provide proof of certification, that is why you should first think about completing a certificate or a degree program which can take you from 6 months to 2-years, and then apply for a certification exam.

So as to be able to reach the eligibility for the certification exam, most phlebotomy certification agencies will require that you:

• Complete courses that you can enroll in only if you manage to submit your high school or GED transcripts, and pass a background and drug test.
• Complete required about 40 hours of classroom training, and 40 hours of ‘hands-on’ practical training.
• Provide proof of up to 100 venipunctures and up to 10 skin punctures

Required Skills

As you will be in constant contact with patients,  empathy and patience have to be your virtues.

You will need to possess excellent communication skills, as you will find yourself in a situation where you need to explain the procedure to the patients and make them feel comfortable even though they are afraid of needles.

If you have a friendly attitude towards both patients and other medical staff, excellent attention to cleanliness and safety, and an eye for detail, then you can consider yourself an excellent person for the phlebotomists’ profession.

And if you have customer service work experience during which you have to deal with various kinds of people, you will be a preferred candidate for employment, once you apply for it.

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 New Mexico

Clovis Community College

Programs Offered: Phlebotomy Certificate Program

School Website: www.clovis.edu

Aspiring phlebotomy technician can look for education at Clovis Community College’s program of phlebotomy certificate.

Eastern New Mexico University – Roswell

Programs Offered: Phlebotomy Training

School Website: www.roswell.enmu.edu

Eastern New Mexico University – Roswell is another educational institution for future phlebotomists as it has to offer a certificate of completion in Phlebotomy to its graduates.

So as to be eligible to take the nationally recognized ASCP certification exam students need to attend the program for two semesters, and reach 19 credit hours.

New Mexico State University – Dona Ana Community College

Programs Offered: Phlebotomy Certificate Program

School Website: www.dacc.nmsu.edu

Dona Ana Community College is located in Las Cruces, and if you decide to attend its phlebotomy program, you will need to pass classroom instruction as well as 30 clinical hours.

The enrollment into this program is available to people who can provide proof of immunizations, a current CPR card, and complete a drug screening and background check.

San Juan College

Programs Offered: Phlebotomy Program

School Website: www.sanjuancollege.edu

San Juan College has created a program that will make students ready to take the national phlebotomy certification examination as well as to start working as entry-level phlebotomists in a hospital, clinic, or physician’s office.

This is a 4 credit hour program and it consists of classroom lectures and a supervised, 100-hour clinical rotation.

So as to be allowed to attend classes, you will need to pay the total cost of this program which is $695.

Santa Fe Community College

Programs Offered: Phlebotomy Program

School Website: www.sfcc.edu

At Santa Fe Community College a Phlebotomy program graduates can sit for the national licensing examination through the American Society for Clinical Pathology.

Certification can be achieved only if they finish this 12.25 credit hour program which is comprised of the following courses: Basic Life Support – Introduction to Phlebotomy, Clinical Phlebotomy I, Clinical Phlebotomy II, and Special Practices in Phlebotomy.

University of New Mexico

Programs Offered: Clinical Laboratory Assistant/Phlebotomy for ASCP Certification

School Website: www.ce.unm.edu

The University of New Mexico welcomes students to its nine-week phlebotomy program that includes 120 hours of study.

During the first 60 hours, students will have classroom instruction which will be followed by 60 hours of lab and 100 hours of clinical experience at a local clinic.

This program includes three courses:

• a 3 credit hour Discovery Phlebotomy course
• a 240-hour Phlebotomy Essentials, Laboratory, Clinical experience course
• a 36 hour Work Skills course.

Students who enroll will pay $2989 for all three courses.

Job Prospects And Salary Expectations for Phlebotomists in New Mexico

In New Mexico, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that a growth rate of 20% will be experienced over the next 10 years when phlebotomy jobs are in question.

We know that you are interested in your possible salary, so we would like to inform you that the hourly wage for phlebotomists in New Mexico is $14-$16.5, which is $28 900 to $35 837 per year.

Upon graduation and certification, you can look for employment in hospitals, labs, physician’s offices, and blood banks and as a certified professional, you should not worry about whether you will find a satisfying job.

Actually, not only will you be given preference over non-certified phlebotomists, but also you will be paid higher wages.

Besides getting a chance to negotiate the salary, you will be able to determine your favorable working hours.

We consider it important to mention that since New Mexico has a lower population density thus less possible patients, the average phlebotomists’ salary is lower that it can be found in other states, but there are still jobs available.

Annual Salary Range:

Regional Salary in New Mexico