Category: Nursing Certification

How Long Does a Medical Assistant Certification Last

The certification for a Medical Assistant is contingent on what organization has certified the applicant. There are two main organizations that certify Medical Assistants. Each require the passage of a certification exam, payment of a fee, and a way to remain certified. The American Association of Medical Assistants certification is considered the higher level certification. It requires that the Medical Assistant is a graduate of an accredited training program.

After taking and passing the Certification exam, a card is sent to the Medical Assistant that is good for 60 months. During that time period the Medical Assistants must take 60 continuing education points in this time period to remain certified. Ten must be administrative, ten must be clinical, ten may be general and the remaining 30 can be in any combination of the previous categories.

The other organization that certifies Medical Assistants is the American Medical Technologists(AMT). The certification they offer is only valid for three years, and allows the medical Assistant to be called Registered Medical Assistant. In order to keep this certification valid, within the three years a total of thirty continuing education credits must completed.

Ten credits a years can be earned by proving continued employment, verified by the employer. The continuing education classes can be taken at a university in a related field, such as biology, anatomy, every university credit hour will translate into 5 continuing education credits.

Whatever path the Medical Assistant chooses to satisfy their continuing educational requirements, there has to be verifiable proof given to the AMT that it was done.

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How Long Does Phlebotomy Certification Last

Does a phlebotomy certification expire? Yes. Depending on what organization certified the phlebotomist, certification generally must be renewed yearly. Every state has different requirements for their phlebotomists, in the amounts of time that they can work before they obtain certification. There are a few different organizations that certify phlebotomists, the bottom line is that most phlebotomists must recertify at least every two years.

There is often the requirement that the phlebotomists take continuing education courses in the interim between getting their original certification and reapplying for recertification. The rationale for this is as follows; there are people who are certified phlebotomists, yet have never worked in the field. These people while qualified to do the job, need to practice their skills so they do not lose their abilities in doing the procedures

Taking blood from patients is a skill, the more practice you have doing it the more proficient you become in it. Venipuncture and dermal punctures are by nature invasive procedures, proper sanitary protocols must be followed to avoid the spreading of disease. Blood borne pathogens are a leading cause of such diseases as HIV, Aids, and Hepatitis. It is imperative that all medical professionals who come in contact with blood use the proper procedures and equipment to protect themselves and their patients from unnecessary exposure to danger.

The phlebotomist’s certification is not something to get, then forget about. It is, in effect permission granted by the organization that administered the certification exam that the phlebotomist took and passed, that they can do phlebotomy for two years, then must be recertified.

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Phlebotomy Training And Certification in Arizona

What exactly is involved in becoming a phlebotomist?

Before you ever draw blood on any human subject, you must be fully versed on the anatomy and procedure required to achieve a successful venipuncture. In addition as part of the diploma or certificate program in phlebotomy technician, you will learn CPR and first aid. Essentially a phlebotomist is a medical assistant specializing in drawing blood. During the classroom courses, they get practice on dummy arms, before they start practicing on their classmates and other volunteers. Capillary punctures, requiring minute amounts of blood, then drawing blood using a tourniquet and collection tubes, is the progression of the coursework, All programs have an externship of anywhere from 150 to 200 hours, where the student must complete 100 unaided draws of blood. When all of these requirements are completed, then they can sit for the ASCP (American Society of certified Pathologists) certification exam for phlebotomist technologists.

Most employers of phlebotomists would prefer you have paid experience as a phlebotomist before they will hire you. That unfortunately is the “Catch 22”; in order to get someone to hire you; you have to be a proven entity in the field. This is not fair, but it is the reality in a lot of cases. Completing an approved phlebotomy training course and passing a certification exam will improve your chances in getting a job as a phlebotomist. The best chances you have in finding employment is in a private lab, like Labcorp, in a hospital setting, or rarely in a private physician’s office. The private physician will generally not have a certified phlebotomist on staff, rather people, i.e. medical assistants, nurses, who are knowledgeable in phlebotomy to draw blood and send in to the lab for analysis. The reason for this is simple; it is cost effective for a physician to avoid increasing his overhead for a person who is a specialist. Most phlebotomists would prefer to spend their time drawing blood, and not do other medical office work. The amount of times a blood sample has to be taken for analysis is in most cases, not enough to warrant hiring someone just to draw blood full time.

How to become a phlebotomist in Arizona?

In Arizona, you do not need to pass a certification exam to practice. However, it can only improve your employability if you obtain this certification. There are two organizations that certify phlebotomists ASCP (American Society of Certified Pathologists) and the AMT (American Medical Technologists). Both exams test your knowledge in phlebotomy by taking a pencil and paper multiple choice exams, the true test of any phlebotomist’s ability is in the field. If a phlebotomist cannot make it in real life situations, under stress, then perhaps phlebotomy as a career is not a good fit for their ability or temperament.

So how long does it take to become a phlebotomist in Arizona?
The average classroom time is 60 hours and the clinical is 160 hours totaling 220 hours.

How much will an Arizona resident expect to pay for phlebotomy training?

The classroom time is 60 hours and the clinical is 160 hours totaling 220 hours at $72 an hour which equals $15,840. If the student is not an Arizona resident the hourly rate is 320 dollars an hour. With this certificate the student can sit for the certification exam given by ASCP, and hopefully obtain gainful employment as a phlebotomist. You can also search internet for Phlebotomy Scholarships, or contact school’s guidance counselor for advise.

How much do phlebotomist make in Arizona?
It depends upon the experience, but an average Phlebotomy technician can make from $9 per hour to $22 per hours with benefits. You can go to Beauro of Labor Statistics and find out a median pay in your area.

What are the top 5 schools in Arizona to get phlebotomy training?

The top 5 schools in Arizona to get phlebotomy training are Central Arizona College, Phoenix College and Arizona College. Cactus Wren home care school, and Estrella Mountain Community College.

At Central Arizona College, the phlebotomy training program will culminate in a certificate; they do not offer a degree in phlebotomy. Besides drawing blood, a phlebotomist has to learn to maintain their composure in any and all situations that might come up in the field. For this reason this program’s requirement of eight weeks in the classroom and eight weeks in a clinical setting makes a lot of sense. We all know plenty of book smart people who cannot, due to poor interpersonal skills, keep a job. To get the certificate at this school, students need 100 successful venipunctures, 10 fingersticks, and complete 180 hours in an eight week clinical setting and lastly they have to observe a blood gas with respiratory therapy. Students are also fully versed in HIPPA, which insures the confidentiality of patient information.

At Phoenix College, they offer a certificate in Phlebotomy, which can be completed in less than two years. If the student already is a health care worker, the time period to take the specific phlebotomy coursework and practicum will take about a year. The techniques of drawing blood, the knowledge of how to prepare blood specimens for analysis by an outside labs, which tubes to draw for which tests, how much blood to draw, how to deal with difficult patients and hard to find veins are all topics covered in the coursework.

The total tuition costs, you will incur, are dependent upon how long it will take you to complete the coursework. The hourly rate per credit at Phoenix College is 76 dollars. You must complete at a minimum 100 successful venipunctures at a clinical site. The approximate costs for the courses is$ 1000, fees another $500, books, $ 300. So a total of $1800 for applicants who already have a degree in a health science, are a working health care provider or have already fulfilled the prerequisites at other institutions.

At the Cactus Wren training program, the cost for 40 hours of classroom instruction, and 100 clinical hours with the achievement of 100 successful unaided blood collection venipunctures is $1740. This will allow these students to sit for the national certification exam for phlebotomists.

At Arizona College, a diploma is offered in Phlebotomy. It takes 20 weeks, which includes a 5 weeks, 200 hours externship to complete. The total costs for this diploma program, according to their catalog amounts to $10,000. Is a diploma more valuable than a certificate program? In some employer’s eyes, perhaps it is, but the reality is that very few schools offer a diploma in phlebotomy; most only offer a certificate.

The last school in Arizona that offers a certificate in phlebotomy is the Estrella Mountain Community college. This program lasts 410 clock hours, with an 80 hour externship included in that number of hours. The costs for this program is $2500, not including books, which could add another 250 dollars to the total.

The choice of where you want to get phlebotomy training is up to you. The quality of the training you get is not always contingent on how much money you spent. If you can do the job, it does not really matter where you received your training.

Phlebotomy Certification Requirements In Wisconsin

Phlebotomy training in the state of  Wisconsin can be accomplished one of two ways. On the job certification comes when you have had specialized training that is focused on daily venipuncture of several people for the purpose of either drawing blood or plasma in a blood or plasma donation center, or through the more traditional route of college education.

The on the job training often requires that you be a certified medical assistant at the very least, a registered nurse at most. However, the benefits to learning and earning a phlebotomy certification this way is that the donation centers pay you a salary for it. You do have to meet their beginning training requirements and the phlebotomist salary doesn’t reach its full potential until you’ve passed the training and choose to stay on with the donation center. Otherwise, you can leave and find a job elsewhere, but the salary is such that many choose to stay and get more experience before looking for a job in a hospital or clinic.

With phlebotomy training in Madison WI has a couple colleges that can teach you what you need to know but they move you through a degree program in either nursing or an equal medical profession. Madison Area Technical College is the only one that bypasses all of that and requires high school graduation before entering their four credit certification program. Because it’s only four credits, it doesn’t count as half-time status, and therefore doesn’t count for Federal Student aid. You are on your own if you choose this route, although you might be able to find a scholarship to help defer the costs or an employer who will pay you back your educational expenses once you’re hired on. Phlebotomy certification requirements in Wisconsin are not that particular.

Once you have your certification, a phlebotomist salary in Wisconsin is approximately $25,000. Not a bad salary for a single person, but some medical professionals earn more than that. Also, that is the average, so it’s important to keep in mind that you might make more or less than this, and there really isn’t an “up ladder” for this career choice. If this is what you want to do and to learn, you need to go into it knowing these things ahead of time.

That being said, given the salary does not match the dangers involved, e.g., accidental needle sticks, blood borne pathogens, etc., you must really have a passion to learn about the circulatory system and how blood functions within the human body. You must also want to help people who may be sick and only their blood samples taken accurately by you can tell diagnostics the reasons why. There are many opportunities to help people as a phlebotomist or phleb technician, as they are more commonly called, but it is a unique career choice that requires the right type of people to do it.

Explore “Top 10 Scholarships For Phlebotomy Students” in your area.

NCLEX-PN

What is the NCLEX-PN?

The NCLEX-PN is a test administered specifically to candidates seeking licensure as Practical Nurses. Once a practical nurse has made it through his or her coursework, they have to take the NCLEX-PN and pass before they are allowed to seek employment in their field. The coursework can be a one-year program in a vocational or community college that offers it, or minoring in nursing while attending a four-year college for a different degree.

Licensed Practical Nurses, or LPN’s, are one step below Registered Nurses, or RN’s. Nurse’s Aids or Nursing assistants are at the bottom rung, doing most of the grunt work. LPN’s are allowed to do triage work, administer medications, and a few other details CNA’s are not. They generally assist an RN assigned to the wing with details that the RN can’t always get to or need more assistance with than a CNA is allowed to provide.

Why is the NCLEX-PN test required?

Without the NCLEX-PN, LPN’s can not and should not practice anything akin to medicine. There are severe penalties for doing so.

How hard is the NCLEX-PN exam?

Yes the test is fairly tough. But “Practice makes man Perfect”, So just keep on reading and keep on taking different tests for practice.

What is the NCLEX-PN passing score?

Test results have complex structure and it changes, so do not waste your time figuring if you’ll pass or fail. Leave that stress for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). You need to answer at least 85 out of 205 questions in 5 hours. Per every right answers, next question is harder than the previous question. Some time ago, there were 265 questions which 75 needed to be correct, in order to pass.

How to prepare for the NCLEX-PN?

There are ways to get past the test anxiety of taking the NCLEX-PN. While the tried and true method of flashcards is okay, it really only works for memorizing many different kinds of medication, their origins and what they are used for as well their side effects. As for the hands on testing of skills, only practicing every last skill you have learned in class can prepare you for this part of the exam.

Applicants also have to be able to analyze situations from a physiological or psychological point of view and summarize what they see as the answer or potential issue.

Review of all classroom materials, texts, and notes is still the most effective route to rote memory needed to answer parts of the exam. There are many test prep books available for the NCLEX however, and for a few dollars you can buy them from any online bookstore.

You have to be careful that the “cheat” books cover laws in practical nursing for your current state, otherwise you might have some wrong answers on your exam. Most states have some universal policies but there are a few variances from state to state as governed by the Board of Nursing there.

Free NCLEX-PN resources

Certain websites also have test preps for free available to those who need them. One site, http://www.testprepreview.com/nclex_test_breakdown.htm, offers the NCLEX-PN review and prep for free. They also have flashcards on the site you can use to help memorize anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and other topics that are likely to appear on the exam. Another free site to help you study is http://www.studyguidezone.com/nclexpntest.htm.

If you feel you’re not getting enough out of these freebies, you can always cough up $24.95 for a practice exam with the site, http://www.petersons.com/college-search/nclex-practice-test.aspx.

Finally a website that provides both a free practice exam as well as bundles of timed practice tests for a price is http://www.nclexpnprep.com/ designed specifically to assist PN’s in passing the NCLEX-PN.

NCLEX-PN registration

It should be noted, that if your instructors don’t regularly remind you to do so, you must register in advance to take the exam. There’s a fee that has to be paid with your registration; it covers the exam materials and the time the exam administrator spends with the group in the five hours of testing that’s allowed and, in some instances, part or all of your license if you pass. If you miss your first registration opportunity you only have a limited amount of time to take the exam before all of your nursing education becomes null and void. It is vital to your patients and your job that your education is current, and even after you have your license you will be required to continue updating your education annually. With all of the advancements in the medical field it’s understandable why this is law.

Of course, all of the above boils down to your education. In nursing, the requirements for graduation are becoming more strict in order to ensure that nothing but the best graduates from all of the nursing programs out there and patients are getting nothing but the best of care because of it. Hospitals and clinics are looking for the top of the class, not the bottom. If you barely pass your courses and somehow skim through the licensure exam, your chances of employment are going to be tight. You cannot take practical nursing or registered nursing lightly; it’s a very serious and intense career choice. Even if you meet a couple times a week to review with your fellow practical nursing candidates will make all the difference in whether or not you pass or fail the NCLEX-PN exam. Whatever path you choose to take to study for licensure, it is up to you to find out what works best.

View NCLEX-PN sample questions here.

Related Article:
“NCLEX-RN For Registered Nurse Licensure“

Forensic nursing

What Is Forensic Nursing and What Is A Forensic Nurse?

A forensic nurse is a nursing professional who has specialized training in the field of the collection of forensic evidence, legal testimony, criminal procedures and more. This nursing expert becomes a liaison between the criminal justice system and the medical profession. This field helps to combine the medical training of a nurse with the investigative prowess of detectives and the legal training of a lawyer. In short, this type of nursing professional becomes a formidable enemy for criminals.

Forensic nurses cater to the needs of victims and the perpetrators of a death or trauma that has taken place because of criminal acts and traumatic events. The forensic nurses are professionals who assist with their patient’s emotional and physical recovery with the added responsibility of collecting and recognizing evidence in the treatment of patient wounds. This makes their job a crucial and delicate one to a very large extent.

Forensic Nursing Requirements

Nursing professionals have the option to become a forensic nurse after they become a Registered Nurse. This can be done via a two year or a four year program. The 4 year program is a more competitive program that leads to enhanced credibility as a witness at any trial and it also makes the nurse eligible to apply for a Master’s degree program in the field.

Individuals who have a college degree in another associated subject like criminal science and who desire to become a forensic nursing professional has the option of making an application to any accredited accelerated course. This course is one that award the forensic nursing candidate a 4 year degree in nursing in one year. There are some that are joined with the Master’s Program that allows a candidate who has no degree in nursing to further graduate with a master’s degree in the field for three years.

How To Get Forensic Nursing Certification?

In the USA today the Forensic Nursing Certification Board or the FNCB provides two professional credentials to candidates. They are the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner – Adult/Adolescent (SANE A) and the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner- Pediatric (SANE P). Both SANE A and SANE P are earned credentials that are recognized as the highest standards of forensic nursing in the USA for sexual assault. Nurses get the certification after they meet the eligibility requirements and also pass the Examination for certification. The certificate also requires to be renewed and this can be done via documented education that has continued for over three years. There are online certification courses that the candidate can go in for as well.

These online certification programs in the nation have been specially designed for registered nurses who are interested to combine their specialized legal knowledge and clinical experience that has been acquired. The objective of this online certification program is to provide the nurse with skills to evaluate, analyze and provide informed views and opinions that relate to health care delivery and its resulting outcomes in the industry.

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Can you become a nurse online?

Nursing certifications list

Nursing certifications list

An Insight Into Some Nursing Certifications And Their Prerequisites

Nursing certification generally refers to getting certified in a nursing related specialty by a Certifying Board besides the State Board Of Nursing in the USA. Like for example when you become a registered nurse you will require to meet the specific registered nurse requirements that have been laid down by the State Board of Nursing where the candidate wishes to work in. The Certified Emergency Nurse or the CEN certification again can be obtained by meeting all the needs and requirements that have been specified by the Board of certification For Emergency Nursing that again is not a state specific one. There are also many nursing certifications that can be pursued after you get the Registered Nurse certification and in such a case you should also notice that many of the above registered nursing certifications specify having a current RN license as a major requirement.

When it comes to the basic points of nursing certification you must keep in mind that the above certification should be from a certifying board besides the state board of nursing from where you are based. The RN license is often a requirement along with a minimum experience of two years. After the certification it is important for the candidate to take education classes that are to be continued, pass the examination or pay the membership fees.

Before going ion for any kind of nursing certification it is important for you to understand the meaning of the certification and its significance in the nursing profession. An easy way of doing this is by speaking to the hiring managers in the area where you would like to specialize in. Talking to specialty nurses will also help you make the right choice before you decide to advance into specialty nursing jobs. Given below is a list of some of the most popular nursing certifications in the USA :

  • Certified Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN)
  • Certified Developmental Disabilities Nurse (CDDN)
  • Certified Gastroenterological Nurse (CGN)
  • Certified Holistic Nurse (HNC)
  • Certified Peritoneal Dialysis Nurse (CPDN)
  • Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN)

The above are just some of the widely sought after certifications that are available for certified nurses in the USA. There are other programs where nurses can get higher certifications and degrees in the profession and for this they do not need to attend regular classes. Nurses also have the option to enroll for the LPN to RN, LPN to BSN nursing program, RN to BSN and RN to MSN classes online as well. This can be done for the purposes of professional development and enhancement in the medical and healthcare industry.