Phlebotomy Schools in Louisiana

The phlebotomy field boasts an impressive rate of growth and is expected to outpace other healthcare support occupations by 2029. Professionals with phlebotomy experience and training are in high demand across the country because medical teams depend on them to collect and process blood and other bodily products in order to diagnose and treat patients.

Phlebotomy is an excellent career field for workers who want to complete a short training course and enter the workplace right away. This is often an entry point for workers who want to continue their education to become medical assistants or nurses. Others successfully turn phlebotomy into their primary career by moving from entry-level technicians to supervisors or managers.

How Can I Find the Best Phlebotomy Training Program Near Me?

The best phlebotomy classes provide classroom education plus clinical experience. They provide the technical knowledge that phlebotomists need to work safely while giving them opportunities to practice new skills. They also touch on soft skills so that new phlebotomists know how to communicate with patients and work as part of a medical team.

Since certification and state licensing is required in Louisiana, it's important for students to select comprehensive training programs. The program should help each student pass the knowledge and practical sections of a national phlebotomy examination.

There are training courses offered at community colleges throughout the state, and students have online program options. Local classes are more likely to offer adequate hands-on experience plus clinical opportunities, but online programs are becoming more comprehensive and may include clinical experience as well.

What Is the Phlebotomy Certification/Licensing Process in Louisiana?

Louisiana is one of four states that require phlebotomists to obtain certification and licensing before entering the workforce. The process is as follows:

1. Pass a certification examination approved by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (LSBME).
2. Send exam scores plus all other required documentation to the LSBME. Documentation includes a passport quality photograph and notarized authorization forms giving consent for background checks.
3. Pay the phlebotomist licensure fee.
4. Log into www.lsbme.la.gov to check application progress and verify approval.
5. Renew license as required by the LSBME.

Workers without significant phlebotomy experience should enroll in a training course to prepare for the national examination. Most Louisiana programs are designed to prepare students for the exams authorized by the LSBME for licensing and certification.

Where Can I Find a Job As a Phlebotomist in Louisiana?

Phlebotomy jobs are found in medical facilities throughout Louisiana. That includes ambulatory services, physician offices, hospitals, medical clinics, and laboratories. Hospitals are the leading employers throughout the country, but laboratories are a close second.

Working in a physician's office or other facility with limited hours of operation can ensure phlebotomists are never required to work on weekends, overnight, or on holidays. Phlebotomists working in hospitals, laboratories, or ambulatory services may have less control over their working hours.

What Is the Salary for a Phlebotomist in Louisiana?

The median annual salary for Louisiana phlebotomists was just over $34,000 in May 2020. Top earners in the state made close to $40,000 a year while the state's bottom range was approximately $30,000. Experienced phlebotomists can average around $20 per hour. With steady growth in the industry and high demand for phlebotomy professionals, that salary range may increase in the future.

Phlebotomists may improve their expected salary by completing a reputable phlebotomy course and passing a certification exam. Higher salaries are also earned by phlebotomists with experience, so selecting a training course that includes clinical experience may benefit those entering the field with no workplace experience.

Phlebotomy Schools By City