About This Program
Our standalone Phlebotomy Technician program is designed for students who want to specialize quickly in venipuncture and specimen collection. The curriculum covers blood draw techniques across multiple patient populations, specimen handling, lab safety protocols, and patient communication — all the competencies required to sit for the NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) exam. A lab practicum on a venipuncture training arm and live blood draw sessions builds hands-on proficiency before the exam.
What You'll Learn
- Venipuncture: vacutainer (evacuated tube system), butterfly (winged infusion set), and syringe techniques for antecubital, hand, and difficult-access sites
- Capillary puncture: adult fingerstick technique and neonatal heel stick procedure
- Specimen integrity: tube additive identification, correct order of draw, mixing requirements, and temperature-sensitive transport
- Blood culture collection: aseptic technique, bottle inoculation procedure, volume requirements, and documentation
- Patient identification: two-identifier protocol, label verification, and requisition matching
- OSHA bloodborne pathogen standards: PPE selection, sharps safety, biohazard disposal, and exposure incident response
- Rejection criteria: hemolysis, clotting, mislabeling, insufficient volume — and the proper recollection process for each
Program Outcomes
- Credential: NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) — National Healthcareer Association, upon passing the NHA CPT national exam
- Eligible employers: hospital laboratories, reference laboratories, blood banks, outpatient clinics, dialysis centers, and physician offices
- Estimated RI starting wage: $16–$21/hr
- CPT certification is also a core component of the PCT Triple Certification pathway — graduates can later add CNA and EKG credentials to qualify for hospital PCT positions
Other Allied Health Track Programs
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The foundational credential for entering Rhode Island's healthcare workforce.
Patient Care Technician — Triple Certification
CNA + Phlebotomy + EKG in one program. The gold standard for ER and ICU hiring.
EKG Technician
Specialized cardiac monitoring training — a targeted 4-week credential.