Nowadays, phlebotomy becomes one of the most well-developed and required medical careers.
Phlebotomists can perform various duties such as patients’ education, collecting and storing blood samples, managing records on collected samples.
If you want to enroll in this career field, you should know that you can find lots of training options offered throughout Washington.
In order to be a qualified phlebotomist, you need to know various venipuncture, diagnostic, and clinical lab techniques and update your knowledge constantly.
Certification is not a mandatory requirement for a phlebotomy career in Washington but still, you should consider obtaining it.
Being certified means that you can get better job offers and higher salary rate.
Article Table of Contents
Top Cities For Phlebotomy Career in Washington
- Seattle
- SeaTac
- Vancouver
- Bellingham
- Yakima
- Kennewick
Phlebotomy Training Requirements in Washington
A phlebotomist is mainly responsible for drawing blood samples which requires some good training and excellent knowledge of all related procedures.
In Washington, you can get your training in two ways.
The first one is an on-the-job experience that you get while working in a hospital or a clinic but this option won’t provide you with any theoretical knowledge.
The second variant is a specialized training program offered by a college or a vocational school.
The last one – it is a perfect combination of theory and practice.
Just keep in mind that you need to have your high-school diploma to apply to any of these options.
In order to be able to work in hospitals, labs, clinics, blood banks, and other medical facilities, you need to obtain a certificate from the Washington State Department of Health.
Phlebotomy Essential Skills
To perform your duties properly, you should be communicative, co-operative and friendly as you are going to work not only with a bunch of patients but with doctors, health practitioners, and other team members constantly.
Also, you should be able to keep your composure in any situation as any medical facility it is a stressful environment.
And, of course, you need to know well all basic procedures, techniques, and requirements related to your job.
Phlebotomist’s Salary in Washington
First of all, it should be mentioned that phlebotomy has an extremely positive outlook.
Only in Washington, there are more than 5000 available phlebotomy careers.
In Washington, a phlebotomist has an average salary of about $31 000 per year which is much higher than a national rate.
If you are experienced and qualified enough, you can get an even higher salary (about $38 500 per year).
City | Salary |
---|---|
Seattle, WA | $37 454 |
Spokane, WA | $33 858 |
Tacoma, WA | $36 387 |
Vancouver, WA | $35 583 |
Bellevue, WA | $35 583 |
Everett, WA | $36 520 |
Federal Way, WA | $36 387 |
Kent, WA | $36 314 |
Yakima, WA | $33 824 |
Bellingham, WA | $34 848 |
Phlebotomy Training in Washington
Pima Medical Institute
555 S. Renton Village Place Suite #110
Renton, WA 98057
Being one of the most recognized institutes in the country, Pima Medical Institute provides medical training courses for about 35 years.
One of the available options is the Phlebotomy Technician program that lasts for 3 months and allows students obtaining their certification.
The course contains such disciplines as venipuncture, sample diagnosis, and micro-collection techniques.
Also, students can learn how to collect other specimens properly and handle lab equipment.
The Institute offers financial aid and lifetime placement assistance as well.
Shoreline Community College
16101 Greenwood Ave North
Shoreline, WA 98133
One other great training option is offered at the Shoreline Community College.
It is a phlebotomy certification program that includes various disciplines such as drawing blood, laboratory procedures, safety and infection control, blood-serum processing, and use of the computer Laboratory Information System (LIS).
The whole course lasts for 2 quarters.
During the first part, students attend theoretical classes and learn some phlebotomy basics while the second part they enroll in 3-4 weeks of clinical training.
You can apply for it twice a year – in Spring and in Fall.
As soon as you complete your training, you’ll get your “Certificate of Completion” in Phlebotomy.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Phlebotomist