Frequently Asked Questions

Phlebotomists or Phlebotomy Technicians take blood for sampling in a healthcare environment as part of a regular health screening, to donate blood or plasma, or to help determine diagnosis of various ailments. As a phlebotomist, you may also gather other samples aside from blood or plasma.

Phlebotomy Technicians work in a number of various environments including hospitals, doctors offices, laboratories, donation centers, dental offices and medical spas.

We offer three day weekday or two day weekend options for our phlebotomy training classes.

We welcome students of all ages, educational and professional backgrounds. However, we do require all students to be 18 or older to attend class.

Please visit our upcoming classes page to see tuition costs in the location you are interested in. Tuition includes all course materials as well as a textbook.

There is an additional fee of $50 for the national certification exam. Washington State has a licensing fee of $145.

We offer Phlebotomy certification classes and IV Training courses at all of our locations nationwide. We are in the process of launching an EKG course that is scheduled to be available in 2024.  To learn more about every course in your area please visit our upcoming classes page.

 To learn more about every course please visit our upcoming classes page to see what classes are offered in your area.

Our goal is to get you certified and prepared to enter the workforce. By keeping our classes small, we ensure every student gets ample one-on-one instruction that is tailored to individual needs and experience levels.

Our classes are a combination of lab and lecture. Although preparing you for a national certification exam is a priority, we would rather spend a majority of our classroom time in the lab to get you acquainted and comfortable with various equipment and procedures.

Our instructors are knowledgeable and experienced healthcare professionals and are eager to help you along every step of the way. Although working in healthcare is serious business, we aim to provide a fun and comfortable environment for everyone in the classroom.

Upon course completion, you will be ready to gain certification and ready to apply for positions as a phlebotomist without spending thousands of dollars on a college course that could possibly take multiple months.

Colleges are a great move if you are in need of classroom college credits. However, if you are not in need of college credits to complete a degree, our class is a shorter and more affordable option to become a phlebotomist and start working towards a new career.

We offer private training to doctors offices, hospitals, dental offices, medical spas and more. We require a minimum participants and we can tailor our training to meet the needs of your specific facility. Please visit our Group Trainings page for more information.

Our waitlist policy is first come first serve. We require everyone that would like to be waitlisted to be enrolled in a future class. If a spot becomes available, we will be in touch via phone or email and manually apply your deposit or tuition payment to the class you are waitlisted for.

Our office hours are Monday through Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm. If you have called or emailed outside of office hours we will do our best to respond within the next business day. If you have called during business hours please leave a brief message with your name, phone number, location and questions you have and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Emails will also be responded to within the business day during business hours.

We look forward to meeting you in class! Your seat has been reserved and we will take care of purchasing your class materials and textbook. You will receive a formal class confirmation email the week before we meet to go over all the details regarding the first day of class. This email will include the following:

What to Bring – A pen and a notebook. We will provide the rest!

What to Wear – Whatever you are most comfortable in. Scrubs are not required but if you have them feel free to wear them. Please wear closed toed shoes.

Parking Instructions & Directions to the Classroom

Instructions Regarding Tuition Balance Payment – If you have prepaid in full please disregard. Tuition balance can be paid via debit or credit card or cash. Checks are not acceptable.

Mandatory COVID Health Questionnaire – Because of concerns regarding the pandemic, our class schedule has been updated to accommodate community guidelines.We encourage everyone to follow CDC recommendations during this time. Stay healthy!

On the last day of class following your practical exam your instructor will go over all certification requirements and questions.

Within three to five business days upon course completion you will receive a certificate of completion from Northwest Phlebotomy School via email.

We also have a referral program for any new students you refer when you complete your course! Please let us know if you have referred a new student. We will send you a $25 Amazon gift card as a thank you when they complete their course.

Healthcare is an amazing career move for many people. It’s a great career for those new and experienced working in healthcare and offers a wide variety of work environments and schedules.

We require a high school diploma, GED, or its equivalent based on state and national regulations. We welcome students of all ages, education, and experience levels to join us in our classes.

Please visit our IV Training and EKG certification page to see course specific prerequisites.

We also welcome current healthcare providers to attend classes if you are in need of brushing up on your skills!

Northwest Phlebotomy School’s curriculum is based upon and prepares students to successfully pass a variety of national phlebotomy exams for national certification or to prepare you for state licensing.

This includes the National Registry of Allied Health Professionals (NRAHP), National Healthcareer Association (NHA), amongst others.

Please give us a call to discuss certification requirements in your state.

Because we are a training program we do not offer any college credit and therefore do not adhere to credit hours. Our goal is to get you certified and prepared to enter the workforce as a healthcare professional. By keeping our classes small, we ensure every student gets ample one on one instruction and coaching tailored to individual needs and experience levels.

Our classes are a combination of lab and lecture. Although preparing you for a national certification exam is a priority, we would rather spend a majority of our classroom time in the lab to get you acquainted and comfortable with various equipment and procedures.

Please see Our Upcoming Classes Page where we post all of our open enrollment dates for all of our locations. 

We require a non-refundable deposit for your initial signup and to reserve your seat. The deposit for phlebotomy is $150. The deposit for IV is $100. You can also elect to prepay your tuition in full.

Your non-refundable deposit prepares our classroom materials and purchase your textbook for you. On the first day of class, we handle the remaining balance in class unless you choose to prepay upon enrollment.

On day one we will draw from simulation arms to get our steps and safety considerations down. Day two we will begin doing live draws on one another under instructor supervision. Please note, we do not require mandatory participation as a “patient” in class. Ultimately this is up to you and if you prefer to not get poked please just let us know.

We will get acquainted with straight needles for antecubital draws (the crease of the elbow). Which is what most of us might have had in previous blood draw experiences.

We will use butterfly needles for antecubital and hand draws. Butterfly needles are substantially smaller and are commonly used for pediatrics, geriatrics and individuals with smaller, more fragile veins. We will also discuss using syringes.

Each day is structured with the first portion of the class being lecture and the second half of class consisting of hands-on lab practice. Day one we discuss basic anatomy and physiology and basic venipuncture. We also learn how to place tourniquets and find veins. We exclusively will draw on simulation arms to get comfortable with our steps and safety components.

Day two we will discuss special considerations such as pediatrics and geriatrics as well as the importance of preventing needlestick injuries in the field. Lab will give us time to discuss the use of butterfly needles, hand draws as well as drawing with a syringe. We will also begin live draws on day two. No need to worry as it is ultimately up to you if you would like to be drawn on in class as a patient.

On the last day of class we will learn about various blood borne pathogens as well as preventing infection in the field. Lab will consist of practice of methods in the days prior as well as completing your practical exam with your instructor.

We offer small group environments to ensure everyone has ample one on one training with our instructors. Classes are usually 10 to 15 students.

Your tuition will include all your materials and your textbook which will be provided in class on the first day. We do not require students to purchase scrubs. However, if you already have them feel free to wear them in class.

IV or Intravenous Therapy is a method of delivering fluid or other medications directly through a vein. Our IV class is a one day seminar style course meant for students who have completed our Phlebotomy classes or for individuals who already work in a healthcare setting.

IV does not have a national certification component but you would receive a certificate of completion once you have completed the course.

Ultimately, it is up to the doctor you are working under/working with as IVs fall under their license. Common places IV placement is offered are emergency settings such as ambulatory care/transport, hospitals, medical spas or IV therapy services, dental offices and oral surgery offices.

We are so excited that our students are eager to start their new careers. We have numerous community partners and colleagues in a variety of areas that we can connect you with in regards to employment. We are here to help guide you and are happy to offer one-on-one advice to help you get started in the right direction. Please reach out to one of our program directors to speak with your instructor for more information.

National Certification is an option component of class completion and will be available if you choose to become certified. On the last day of class, we will have an in-class practical exam where you will sit down one-on-one with our instructor. It may sound a little daunting but it’s our opportunity to check in with you individually and make sure you’re comfortable with everything you’ve learned in class. In addition, it lets us give you our stamp of approval to move out into the world and start practicing phlebotomy.

Upon course completion and passing your practical exam you will take the written portion of the exam. You will be given a unique classroom code to access the exam upon course completion. The fee to take your national exam following course completion is $50.

Upon passing, you will be nationally certified and able to practice in most states Washington, California, Nevada and Louisiana being some of the few that require in-state licensing.

The recertification cycle is every two years.

Give us a call if your state is one we currently do not have classes in. We will try our best to find a classroom location closest to you!

Northwest Phlebotomy School’s curriculum is based upon and prepares students to successfully pass a variety of national phlebotomy exams for national certification or to prepare you for.

This includes the National Registry of Allied Health Professionals (NRAHP), National Healthcareer Association (NHA), amongst others.

Please give us a call to discuss certification requirements in your state.

Washington state requires all phlebotomists to be Medical Assistant – Phlebotomist (MA-P) licensed through the Department of Health. Washington State requires each applicant must attest to the following competencies: completion of high school education or its equivalent, and the ability to read, write, and converse in the English language.

The Department of Health will complete the final review for approval after a credentialing specialist verifies that the application is fully complete. They will complete background checks and make sure applicants have submitted the required fees ($145).

Please note, neighboring states such as Oregon, Idaho, and Montana are states that require national certification.

The current pandemic has strained many aspects of our healthcare system including the need of phlebotomists in many different healthcare settings.

Due to the current labor market, many positions are offering signing bonuses, relocation packages, and many other lucrative benefits.

Many positions are also cross training phlebotomists to be able to offer COVID testing in various environments.

Phlebotomist employment opportunities include hospitals, donation centers, doctor’s offices, medical spas, dental offices and much more.

The average salary for a phlebotomy position is $30,000 – $60,000. Due to the current labor market, many positions are offering signing bonuses, relocation packages, and many other lucrative benefits. According to Indeed.com, among the top 10 highest paying cities are Seattle, Washington, San Antonio, Texas, Charlotte, North Carolina, Dallas, Texas, and Houston, Texas.

Other benefits may include (depending on your employer) the following:

• Sign on bonus
• Health / Dental Insurance
• Childcare
• Wellness programs
• Health savings account (HSA)
• Referral programs
• Flexible scheduling
• Mileage reimbursement

Please note this information is regarding average starting wages. Many employers provide raises and bonuses that come with advancing in your position.