# Difference between IV cert and Phlebotomy



## paradoqs (Jun 7, 2010)

So i am getting my IV cert and I was wondering if that would make me eligible for a phlebotomist position? I know they are different but my IV class has a phlebotomy section. What of it?


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## LucidResq (Jun 7, 2010)

Phleb classes are significantly more intensive than the quick CO 24-hr IV approval course. At a community college.... a solid semester.. 4-8 credit hours. 

Phlebs obviously focus on drawing blood, and typically use straight needles. EMT + IV approval focuses on starting lines.... yes you may learn, as I did, how to get a couple of tubes off a cath, but we never used straight needles or any other equipment really designed specifically for drawing blood besides a vacutainer. 

As far as getting a job as one, I guess it's possible but you're going to have a rough time. When you turn in an application and resume at almost all of the big hospitals and health care systems out here, the first person who's going to see it is gonna be a HR generalist. All they're looking for is minimum qualifications. If one of those qualifications is AMT certification as a phleb and you don't have it, they toss your stuff right off the bat. 

Even if you apply somewhere smaller, there's still a good chance they are specifically looking for a certified phleb, for good reason, and won't look at you without the cert.


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## clibb (Jun 7, 2010)

paradoqs said:


> So i am getting my IV cert and I was wondering if that would make me eligible for a phlebotomist position? I know they are different but my IV class has a phlebotomy section. What of it?



My understand is Phlebotomy is withdrawl, IV is injection.
IV certification will teach you how to draw blood and where/how to insert an IV and D50. 
Phlebotomy is just drawing blood for testing.


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## zmedic (Jun 8, 2010)

It depends where you work and in what capacity. When I was in Colorado a lot of my friends were EMT techs in the ER. They wanted them to have IV certs because they needed to be able to start lines. Some of them got put through phlebotomy training by the hospital. 

I think it's going to depend on the hospital where you are. You might as well check out their job posting websites and call them.


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## medicRob (Jun 8, 2010)

In phlebotomy, you learn the use of Vacutainers, Butterflies, order of the draw, and special techniques such as the proper techniques with regard to legal bac draws where you would use zeffrin instead of alcohol, or a lactate where you would collect the sample on ice without a tourniquet. You also learn the difference between the various tubes (EDTA, Chem Tubes, etc) as well as what tubes can be used for what and the amounts of which you will be using. Furthermore, you are taught proper collection of samples with regard to avoiding hemolysis of your sample. 

IV Therapy is more in line with the administration and management of venous access devices, dosage calculations and drip rates, and special considerations for admixtures, etc (depending on the level of IV Therapy you are taking, be it EMT-IV, LPN, Paramedic, RN, etc). 

I am not aware if this applies in any other state, but I know for an absolute fact that the state of TN does not require you to hold a phlebotomy certification to be a phlebotomist as I worked as one for years. You are allowed to learn on the job and after 1 year can even test for your phlebotomy certification. IV Therapy however requires credentials and training to perform.


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## TransportJockey (Jun 8, 2010)

Working as an ER Tech is a lot different than working as a phleb. At the hospital in ABQ I worked in as an IV certified tech (basically ER Tech working on the floor), I was not eligible to transfer to lab as a phleb. And All the phleb positions I've looked into applying for here in CO says you must have that specific cert, not just an IV cert.


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## paradoqs (Jun 10, 2010)

Thanks for the info. Seems like there is a lot of difference between the states/providers.


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## khorosho (Jun 12, 2010)

Try Red Cross for phlebotomy course. Mine was excellent. Just my opinion.


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## wildmed (Jun 16, 2010)

There is a tech who works at the hospital I work at who is part time Ed tech part time phlebotomist. I am currently in iv class as well and we where specifially told we could work as phlebotomists after our iv cert and that hospitals like to higher iv trained emus as phlebotomist so they can start ivs on floors. How ever in my hospital they are pushing so iv certified emt transporters are going to do ivs on floors as well as for imaging procedures.


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## Sandog (Jun 16, 2010)

Can you imagine being partnered up with the worst student in phlebotomy class on a practical day. Ouch... :unsure:


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## TransportJockey (Jun 16, 2010)

wildmed said:


> There is a tech who works at the hospital I work at who is part time Ed tech part time phlebotomist. I am currently in iv class as well and we where specifially told we could work as phlebotomists after our iv cert and that hospitals like to higher iv trained emus as phlebotomist so they can start ivs on floors. How ever in my hospital they are pushing so iv certified emt transporters are going to do ivs on floors as well as for imaging procedures.



I wish someone told the hospitals I've been applying at that.


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## medicRob (Jun 17, 2010)

wildmed said:


> There is a tech who works at the hospital I work at who is part time Ed tech part time phlebotomist. I am currently in iv class as well and we where specifially told we could work as phlebotomists after our iv cert and that hospitals like to higher* iv trained emus* as phlebotomist so they can start ivs on floors. How ever in my hospital they are pushing so iv certified emt transporters are going to do ivs on floors as well as for imaging procedures.




I would love to see an IV Trained Emu! j/k (sorry, I had to do it)


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## Sandog (Jun 17, 2010)

medicRob said:


> I would love to see an IV Trained Emu! j/k (sorry, I had to do it)



So who called for a blood draw?


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## JJR512 (Jun 17, 2010)

It's true, there really are emus in hospitals. I know this for a fact because I once discovered where they're kept:


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## LucidResq (Jun 17, 2010)

Not trying to one-up you Sandog but I had this one started before you posted...


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## Sandog (Jun 17, 2010)

Yours is funnier...  Good one.


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## JJR512 (Jun 17, 2010)

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what the "EMU" on the sign I posted actually likely stands for?


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## Sandog (Jun 17, 2010)

JJR512 said:


> Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what the "EMU" on the sign I posted actually likely stands for?



Emergency Medical Unit? Or, eat my undies...

The last part was just a joke by the way...


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## JJR512 (Jun 17, 2010)

It's been awhile since I took that photo. But I don't think there was an Emergency Medical Unit on the 8th floor of any hospitals I've ever been in.

(Edited addition) Just checked the location of the photo from its GPS tag, it was taken somewhere in Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.


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## medicRob (Jun 17, 2010)

LucidResq said:


> Not trying to one-up you Sandog but I had this one started before you posted...



To quote Brian fellow's on Safari Planet... "I Bet not see that bird again"

http://www.hulu.com/watch/19051/saturday-night-live-brian-fellows-safari-planet


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## JJR512 (Jun 17, 2010)

Ah, found it. One of the JHU buildings has an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit on the eight floor.


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## Sandog (Jun 17, 2010)

JJR512 said:


> Ah, found it. One of the JHU buildings has an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit on the eight floor.



I was close. Emergency started with an E and Medical started with M, and I got the unit part right...


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## khorosho (Jun 17, 2010)

Sandog said:


> Can you imagine being partnered up with the worst student in phlebotomy class on a practical day. Ouch... :unsure:



Yes. Also throughout the course. My first choice of partner for practice was a huge powerlifter guy with pipeline veins a blind man could hit from across the room if he lobbed a rig backwards over his shoulder. But often I got stuck with HER, a drop-dead gorgeous fetching young lass with big blue eyes, brilliant pearly whites, and a smooth salon tan, among other noticeable assets. :wub:: Firmly achoring her median cubital, the room hushed in silence, I takes me a deep breath. Relax. Smile. Don't look at her face or body, just the vein; there is only the vein, nothing else. Think bradycardia. Hypoperspiration. Steady. Hold the vacutainer gently but firmly, like a pool cue. OMMMMmmmm. Rememberrofessionalism. Just a walk in the park. T'was a done deal until she coquettishly interjects: "Do I make you nervous?" (giggle, giggle). And she winks at me! _Ignore the Siren's song. _My knees weakened, steam arose from my under my collar. (Some other stuff happened which I can't mention here.):wacko:The stick was done, the draw went flawlessly. Quantity sufficient. No bandaid necessary; she simply batted her eyelashes and the hemorraging obeyed.  And after graduation she slipped away into the world, and into the broken heart archives of medical history.....
Oh yeah, and she loved horses.


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## 8jimi8 (Jun 17, 2010)

khorosho said:


> Yes. Also throughout the course. My first choice of partner for practice was a huge powerlifter guy with pipeline veins a blind man could hit from across the room if he lobbed a rig backwards over his shoulder. But often I got stuck with HER, a drop-dead gorgeous fetching young lass with big blue eyes, brilliant pearly whites, and a smooth salon tan, among other noticeable assets. :wub:: Firmly achoring her median cubital, the room hushed in silence, I takes me a deep breath. Relax. Smile. Don't look at her face or body, just the vein; there is only the vein, nothing else. Think bradycardia. Hypoperspiration. Steady. Hold the vacutainer gently but firmly, like a pool cue. OMMMMmmmm. Rememberrofessionalism. Just a walk in the park. T'was a done deal until she coquettishly interjects: "Do I make you nervous?" (giggle, giggle). And she winks at me! _Ignore the Siren's song. _My knees weakened, steam arose from my under my collar. (Some other stuff happened which I can't mention here.):wacko:The stick was done, the draw went flawlessly. Quantity sufficient. No bandaid necessary; she simply batted her eyelashes and the hemorraging obeyed.  And after graduation she slipped away into the world, and into the broken heart archives of medical history.....
> Oh yeah, and she loved horses.



sounds like you didn't speak up, no?  Learn that lesson bro, unless you are already married or something!


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## medicRob (Jun 17, 2010)

Sandog said:


> I was close. Emergency started with an E and Medical started with M, and I got the unit part right...



Not to rub it in, but: 
[YOUTUBE]WrjwaqZfjIY[/YOUTUBE]


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## paradoqs (Jun 20, 2010)

khorosho said:


> Yes. Also throughout the course. My first choice of partner for practice was a huge powerlifter guy with pipeline veins a blind man could hit from across the room if he lobbed a rig backwards over his shoulder. But often I got stuck with HER, a drop-dead gorgeous fetching young lass with big blue eyes, brilliant pearly whites, and a smooth salon tan, among other noticeable assets. :wub:: Firmly achoring her median cubital, the room hushed in silence, I takes me a deep breath. Relax. Smile. Don't look at her face or body, just the vein; there is only the vein, nothing else. Think bradycardia. Hypoperspiration. Steady. Hold the vacutainer gently but firmly, like a pool cue. OMMMMmmmm. Rememberrofessionalism. Just a walk in the park. T'was a done deal until she coquettishly interjects: "Do I make you nervous?" (giggle, giggle). And she winks at me! _Ignore the Siren's song. _My knees weakened, steam arose from my under my collar. (Some other stuff happened which I can't mention here.):wacko:The stick was done, the draw went flawlessly. Quantity sufficient. No bandaid necessary; she simply batted her eyelashes and the hemorraging obeyed.  And after graduation she slipped away into the world, and into the broken heart archives of medical history.....
> Oh yeah, and she loved horses.



If you're in EMS, you're in the wrong field...


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## paradoqs (Jun 20, 2010)

So, I asked the IV cert teacher, and she said we will be certified to do phlebotomy. I dont know if that means we will have some certification aside from IV but that is what it sounded like.


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## khorosho (Jun 21, 2010)

Why do you say that, friend? Quite an assumption on your part, don't you think. I am relating a tale, to be taken in the lighthearted spirit given. Get over yourself. Bring it.




paradoqs said:


> If you're in EMS, you're in the wrong field...


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## mycrofft (Jun 21, 2010)

*In answer to the title*

Ummm, phlebotomists learn early not to advance the needle usually. And not to put stuff in, just take it out.
I learned phlebotomy at a doc in a box after six months starting everything  an ER. I tried to put the needle halfway up the vein...


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## JJR512 (Jun 22, 2010)

khorosho said:


> Why do you say that, friend? Quite an assumption on your part, don't you think. I am relating a tale, to be taken in the lighthearted spirit given. Get over yourself. Bring it.



I agree. The reaction you had to an attractive female occurred in a social situation. Our reactions to things that occur in emergency situations can be quite different to what happens in a social situation.

Anyone who lacks that distinction is the person who shouldn't be in EMS.


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## Johnny_B_Good (Jun 22, 2010)

khorosho said:


> Yes. Also throughout the course. My first choice of partner for practice was a huge powerlifter guy with pipeline veins a blind man could hit from across the room if he lobbed a rig backwards over his shoulder. But often I got stuck with HER, a drop-dead gorgeous fetching young lass with big blue eyes, brilliant pearly whites, and a smooth salon tan, among other noticeable assets. :wub:: Firmly achoring her median cubital, the room hushed in silence, I takes me a deep breath. Relax. Smile. Don't look at her face or body, just the vein; there is only the vein, nothing else. Think bradycardia. Hypoperspiration. Steady. Hold the vacutainer gently but firmly, like a pool cue. OMMMMmmmm. Rememberrofessionalism. Just a walk in the park. T'was a done deal until she coquettishly interjects: "Do I make you nervous?" (giggle, giggle). And she winks at me! _Ignore the Siren's song. _My knees weakened, steam arose from my under my collar. (Some other stuff happened which I can't mention here.):wacko:The stick was done, the draw went flawlessly. Quantity sufficient. No bandaid necessary; she simply batted her eyelashes and the hemorraging obeyed.  And after graduation she slipped away into the world, and into the broken heart archives of medical history.....
> Oh yeah, and she loved horses.



This reminds me of a chapter of Michael Chichton's book "Travels", where Michael himself had a really HOT pt and had trouble doing his job. Great book, btw.


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## wildmed (Jun 23, 2010)

Hahah sorry about the emu.... My phone likes to autocorrect emt to emu. Nice picture lucid.  Paradog, where are you taking your IV?


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