Career in Phlebotomy

subscriber

Hi folks,

I wanted to post here more as an informative post as apposed to having a queery myself.

I have done a lot of research on a career in phlebotomy over the past week and have found out a considerable amount of information about the profession in Ireland. I hope all is accurate and feel free to correct me if any information is incorrect.

It appears that there does not seem to be any national licenced qualification as a phelbotomist within ireland. From what I can tell and from speaking to employers within hospitals, paticulary the biological science department or lab professionals as well as other training agencies, that in order to work as a phlebotomist, you only need three things.

1. Revelant backround experience in healthcare (unspecified) so this can be anything from nursing, health care assistant or ambulance paramedic as long as it has included a relative amount of clinical experience.

2. Some experience with venipuncture or cannulation.

3. To do a phlebotomy, venipuncture and cannulation course.

As per number three on the list, there are several course providers I have come accross or seen advertised, some through the HSE public sector, and some through private training companies or private hospitals.

Some years ago, there was a very extensive phlebotomy course that was set up by an individual within the HSE National Ambulance Service in conjunction with Dublin City University. The course was 21 weeks long for new entrants and included:


Ten weeks - Distance learning Module
Three weeks - Didactic learning
Two weeks - Pratical skills
Six weeks - Clinical Placements

This course ran into difficulties unknown to me and lost its accreditation with DCU in roughly 2010. They then tried to get accreditation for the course the Dublin Institute of Technology but as far as I can tell, this failed. The course has not run since 2010 and I have been told this is due to HSE funding reasons.

The most recognisable body I can see that is certifing phlebotomy training is the Irish Nursing and midwifery board, An Board Altranis This started out as being available to nurses only and has only recently become available to other health care workers. Courses are being run intermittency around the different regions and can be found under the CPD section of nursingboard.ie at a cost of 200 euros. Take note, that not anyone can come in off the street to do it. In order to be accepted on to this course, you must obtain a letter from either your current employer or from hospital offical stating that once you complete the theoretical component of the course, they will supervise you in at least 10 sucessfull attempts at cannulation and venipuncture. This can prove difficult if you are not currently employed within a health care role and even more difficult to obtain through a public hospital if you are not currently employed by the HSE.

There are many other private companies whomb I dont care to mention offering two day phlebotomy workshops but a lot are UK based and I am sceptical that any recognisable accreditation or certification is awarded upon completion, which I know is a bit of a silly statement considering I just mentioned there is no Nationally recognised qualification anyway. My thinking is that at least with the nursing and midwifery recognition it is HSE certified, regardless of it not being recognised as a National qualification in Phlebotomy.

It seems to be to be a very grey area in healthcare.

Another interesting point is that when speaking to a HR consultant in one of the large dublin hospitals, I asked him what the starting salary is for a phlebotomist in their hospital is and after checking this on the payroll system he informed me it was 27,000K which is quiet a bit more than what I am earning in my current healthcare position having trained and studied hard for two years. Go figure.


If anyone else has any other information on phlebotomy training or requirments as to work as a phlebotomist, please let me know but from what I have researched, this seems to be where it is at.

Useful websites:

http://www.nats.ie/phlebotomy_2010_30.html
http://www.nursingboard.ie/en/cpd-directory.aspx?cat=0
http://www.bsap.ie/homehttp:
//www.pairl.ie

Thanks for reading.

Vorsprung

Be mindful that the HSE has a freeze on recruitment!

My phlebotomy training consisted of a nurse telling me that bloods needed to be done, off I trotted with 5 butterflies in a cannulation tray!

subscriber

Vorsprung wrote: »

Be mindful that the HSE has a freeze on recruitment!

My phlebotomy training consisted of a nurse telling me that bloods needed to be done, off I trotted with 5 butterflies in a cannulation tray!

Yup, well aware of that. As a current HSE employee i was hoping it may make a difference, that I could just transfer careers, being that I would still be on the paybooks anyway, but most likely going to look at the private hospitals.

Do you mind me asking you what you work at?

cena

[ you must obtain a letter from either your current employer or from hospital offical stating that once you complete the theoretical component of the course, they will supervise you in at least 10 sucessfull attempts at cannulation and venipuncture. ]

Could you do the 10 attempts at your local gp. Mine is one of Ireland's top gp doctors in the country. I know he may take me on if I did a course in this.
I have no healthcare working done ever. Would you be be able to work world wide after doing such course

niamhm141

I did a phlebotomy course with phlebotomytraining.co.uk and I have the cert hanging in the GP surgery I work in. They were excellent and now I have my own clinics here where I work. I would like to work somewhere a little busier however and I am wondering does anybody know where some job vacancies might be coming up?

Cosmo2013

subscriber wrote: »

Hi folks,

I wanted to post here more as an informative post as apposed to having a queery myself.

I have done a lot of research on a career in phlebotomy over the past week and have found out a considerable amount of information about the profession in Ireland. I hope all is accurate and feel free to correct me if any information is incorrect.

It appears that there does not seem to be any national licenced qualification as a phelbotomist within ireland. From what I can tell and from speaking to employers within hospitals, paticulary the biological science department or lab professionals as well as other training agencies, that in order to work as a phlebotomist, you only need three things.

1. Revelant backround experience in healthcare (unspecified) so this can be anything from nursing, health care assistant or ambulance paramedic as long as it has included a relative amount of clinical experience.

2. Some experience with venipuncture or cannulation.

3. To do a phlebotomy, venipuncture and cannulation course.

As per number three on the list, there are several course providers I have come accross or seen advertised, some through the HSE public sector, and some through private training companies or private hospitals.

Some years ago, there was a very extensive phlebotomy course that was set up by an individual within the HSE National Ambulance Service in conjunction with Dublin City University. The course was 21 weeks long for new entrants and included:


Ten weeks - Distance learning Module
Three weeks - Didactic learning
Two weeks - Pratical skills
Six weeks - Clinical Placements

This course ran into difficulties unknown to me and lost its accreditation with DCU in roughly 2010. They then tried to get accreditation for the course the Dublin Institute of Technology but as far as I can tell, this failed. The course has not run since 2010 and I have been told this is due to HSE funding reasons.

The most recognisable body I can see that is certifing phlebotomy training is the Irish Nursing and midwifery board, An Board Altranis This started out as being available to nurses only and has only recently become available to other health care workers. Courses are being run intermittency around the different regions and can be found under the CPD section of nursingboard.ie at a cost of 200 euros. Take note, that not anyone can come in off the street to do it. In order to be accepted on to this course, you must obtain a letter from either your current employer or from hospital offical stating that once you complete the theoretical component of the course, they will supervise you in at least 10 sucessfull attempts at cannulation and venipuncture. This can prove difficult if you are not currently employed within a health care role and even more difficult to obtain through a public hospital if you are not currently employed by the HSE.

There are many other private companies whomb I dont care to mention offering two day phlebotomy workshops but a lot are UK based and I am sceptical that any recognisable accreditation or certification is awarded upon completion, which I know is a bit of a silly statement considering I just mentioned there is no Nationally recognised qualification anyway. My thinking is that at least with the nursing and midwifery recognition it is HSE certified, regardless of it not being recognised as a National qualification in Phlebotomy.

It seems to be to be a very grey area in healthcare.

Another interesting point is that when speaking to a HR consultant in one of the large dublin hospitals, I asked him what the starting salary is for a phlebotomist in their hospital is and after checking this on the payroll system he informed me it was 27,000K which is quiet a bit more than what I am earning in my current healthcare position having trained and studied hard for two years. Go figure.


If anyone else has any other information on phlebotomy training or requirments as to work as a phlebotomist, please let me know but from what I have researched, this seems to be where it is at.

Useful websites:

http://www.nats.ie/phlebotomy_2010_30.html
http://www.nursingboard.ie/en/cpd-directory.aspx?cat=0
http://www.bsap.ie/homehttp:
//www.pairl.ie

Thanks for reading.

Hi there
is this thread still active by any chance??. I'm just curious to know how things worked out. I'm really trying to get into this area and have researched a few things...would love to get in contact with you.
Thanks a million.

biomedgirl

I also did a course with phlebotomytraining.co.uk. It was excellent and I obtained a job at a large hospital in Dublin afterwards who then did their own in house training

Cosmo2013

biomedgirl wrote: »

I also did a course with phlebotomytraining.co.uk. It was excellent and I obtained a job at a large hospital in Dublin afterwards who then did their own in house training

Thanks for posting here. That is great to know. I'll look that up. I know there is still no course available in ireland. Thanks again...appreciate it!

MICHAELO_4921

biomedgirl wrote: »

I also did a course with phlebotomytraining.co.uk. It was excellent and I obtained a job at a large hospital in Dublin afterwards who then did their own in house training

Biomedgirl may I ask what your background in work was before you did the course with phlebotomytraining.co.uk. I don't want to spend the money on the course to find it is of no use in Ireland, with my qualification . I'm a Care Assistant for 18+ years, with Fetac level 5 in healthcare support & a BLS instructor.

Thanks in advance.

Cosmo2013

biomedgirl wrote: »

I also did a course with phlebotomytraining.co.uk. It was excellent and I obtained a job at a large hospital in Dublin afterwards who then did their own in house training

Hi there, me again, sorry to bother you.
Did you do the full 18 month course with PT in the UK and did you have an existent professional background in a healthcare environment (this I do have, just not a nurse).

Thanks a million