Phlebotomy Certificate Course
Accreditation:
MLT 102 - Phlebotomy is a one-semester course that includes two hours of lecture, three hours of student lab and eight hours of clinical rotation per week in a hospital laboratory or outpatient facility. The course is approved by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). Students who successfully complete the course are eligible to take the PBT (ASCP) Certification exam.
5600 N. River Road
Suite 720
Rosemont, IL 60018
773-741-8880
www.naacls.org
Graduates of the Phlebotomy curriculum are eligible to take the "PBT" ASCP Board of Certification Exam. Employers seek certified individuals because they know that people with professional credentials can be counted on for the value-added expertise that is in such high demand today. National certification in a specialty area of laboratory practice is proof of knowledge and competence in a field. While National Certification is not required to graduate from the Phlebotomy class, our faculty members feel strongly about the importance of acquiring and maintaining certification and expect that students will complete their certification exams as soon as they complete their programs.
This course provides students the skills and knowledge required to work in specimen collection in a healthcare setting. Emphasis is on venipuncture procedures, professionalism, the operation of the clinical laboratory, and specimen processing. Clinical practice in the laboratories of Philadelphia area is included. Students are required to attend 100 clinical hours and perform 100 venipunctures during the clinical practice. Students are awarded a certificate of completion of the Phlebotomy course at Community College of Philadelphia.
Schedule Fall and Spring: One two hour lecture and one 3 hour lab per week, plus one eight hour day at the clinical site for practice of phlebotomy.
Summer I: May – June. Two 2 hour lecture and two 3 hour lab per week, plus two eight hour days at the clinical site for practice of phlebotomy.
Clinical days schedule: usually 7am-3pm or 8am-4pm (no evenings or weekends). Student picks the days according to her/his schedule and availability from clinical sites.
See detailed schedule on course finder.
Phlebotomy Course Outcome Measures:
| Year: | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| Graduation Rate | 100% | 96% | 97% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Certification Pass Rate | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Program Placement Rate | 86% | 97% | 93% | 86% | 78% | 90% |
The above data represents only those students that took the PBT(ASCP) certification exam and only those students that responded to the program's contact about their work/continuing education status.
As of March 25, 2024
Phlebotomy Course Entry Requirements:
Admission is selective and requires that potential students fulfill all College admission requirements:
- High school diploma or general education diploma (GED).
- Applicants must be 18 years of age on or before the first day of the semester in which they begin the course.
- English 101 and FNMT 018 placement (do not have to be taken before enrolling in the course).
- Verification of medical insurance.
- The student must present the following paperwork before the final admission to the course:
Required clearances:
a. Criminal Background Check:
- Any felony conviction within the past 10 years results in denial of admission to the Phlebotomy Course.
- Any felony conviction more than 10 years old will be evaluated based on the nature of the offense, length of time since the offense and any explanatory letters/materials submitted by the applicant or student.
- Any misdemeanor will be evaluated based on the nature of the offense, length of time since the offense, and explanatory letter/materials submitted by the applicant or students. (Any punishment over one year indicates a felony according to federal sentencing guidelines.)
b. Child Abuse Clearance:
- Any record results in denial of admission into the Phlebotomy Course.
c. Negative drug screen
- The MLT program including the Phlebotomy course requires participation in clinical education. The clinical affiliates of the MLT program require evidence of a negative drug screening test for a student to participate in the clinical part of the clinical laboratory program at their facility. Therefore, any student with a positive drug screening test cannot be admitted into the MLT program. The student is allowed to be re-tested only if the lab rejects the urine specimen due to quality or error in collection.
d. Health form:
-
Health clearance form completed by a health provider proving a copy of proof (a printout of test results) of immunity to Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella, Polio, Hepatitis B,
Diphtheria/Tetanus; proof of Influenza vaccine (only in the Fall/Spring), Absence of TB by QuantiFERON or Q-spot TB test. Revaccinations must be documented.
The required clearances and the drug screen should be ordered through the CastleBranch website. Only accepted students will receive a link to register for it. The health form, test results and vaccination records will be uploaded to this website by an applicant. The CastleBranch will verify it and contact the applicants about any deficiencies.
Application process: online registration is not available
Applications along with the health form and instructions will be given via email from the Select Program representative; email it to Tanika Teagle at thembrooks@ccp.edu starting on:
First Monday of April—for the Fall semester
Third Monday of September—for the Spring semester
Third Monday of January—for the Summer semester, sections I and II
To be considered for the initial admission, students will need to email scanned their documents package to Tanika Teagle at thembrooks@ccp.edu.
The document package should include:
- A completed application, a health form (to include test results and vaccination records), and a copy of the insurance card
Students will be notified via email about acceptance into the course. Only accepted students will receive further instructions on obtaining the remaining paperwork via CastleBranch.com. Do not start obtaining clearances until you get accepted into the program.
The final admission will be granted to the students who submit all the mandatory paperwork via CastleBranch.com before the due date on the application (on a first-come, first-registered basis). Students will be able to register online only after they complete the majority of tasks on the Caslebrach.
The seats are limited to 24 students for the fall and spring semesters and 12 students for the Summer I semester. Students in the AAS MLT program and Medical Assistant certificate receive reserved seats in the class because this class is required for their graduation.
Essential Requirements for the Phlebotomy Course:
The accrediting agency (NAACLS) requires that all prospective students review the following Essential Requirements ( Essential Functions) as part of the admission process to the Phlebotomy course at the Community College of Philadelphia.
The Phlebotomy student will be able to:
- Move freely and safely about the laboratory and other work areas.
- Characterize color and clarity of supplies and reagents.
- Reach laboratory bench tops and shelves, patients lying in hospital beds, or patients seated in specimen collection chairs.
- Travel to various clinical sites for practical experience.
- Maneuver phlebotomy collection equipment to safely collect valid laboratory specimens from patients.
- Use a computer keyboard to record and transmit information.
- Follow written and oral instructions to correctly and independently perform the duties of a phlebotomist.
- Clearly instruct patients prior to collecting specimens.
- Communicate with faculty, classmates, staff, patients and other healthcare professionals verbally and in a written format.
- Be able to adapt to working in a professional environment.
- Be able to adapt to work proficiently in a stressful and/or distracting environment.
- Be able to work with unpleasant biologicals and potentially infectious agents.
- Use safe venipuncture technique and standard precautions to ovoid potential exposure to Blood Borne Pathogens
- Be honest, compassionate, ethical and responsible. The student must be forthright about errors or uncertainty.
Additional requirements for the course:
- Students need to sign a Phlebotomy consent form that describes the activities and possible adverse vents. Each student is required to perform multiple venipunctures on a student partner during on-campus labs to gain proficiency before performing it on patients at clinical sites. This also entails each student allowing a fellow student partner to perform venipunctures upon them as part of the training process.
- Students are required to complete blood-borne pathogen training on campus before attending a clinical site. While safe technique and standard precautions are essential both on campus and at clinical rotations, students should be aware that with any healthcare career involving the use of sharps, there is a risk of accidental needle exposure. Proper technique and procedures are of the utmost importance and critical at all times to avoid such exposure.
- Students must receive a passing grade (75 minimum) in all three areas of the course: lecture, lab, and clinical to pass the course.