We’ll talk about the requirements you must meet, needed training, and the salary you could expect!
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Phlebotomist Employment and Job Duties in Colorado
Finding a job in Colorado as a phlebotomist is easy if you start applying with the following institutions:
- Hospital and clinics
- Blood banks
- Labs
- Nursing homes
- Community health centers
- Doctor’s offices
- Other health care facilities
No matter where you get hired, your job duties will generally be the same ones.
You’ll be responsible for:
- Venipunctures
- Choosing the correct vials
- Correctly labeling samples
- Organizing and sending off samples to the lab for testing
- Communicating with patients
- Calming patients down
- Explaining procedures
- Following strict safety measures
If the facility needs to operate at any hour, you might have expanded duties and tasks to complete.
This aspect is usually mentioned in the job’s description.
Requirements to Become a Phlebotomist in Colorado
Phlebotomists are under the jurisdiction of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations.
Everyone who wants to become a phlebotomist will need:
- A high school diploma or GED
- To graduate from an accredited phlebotomy training program
- At least 100 hours of clinical training
Certification is not mandatory in Colorado, however, this credential will considerably increase your chances of finding employment and get paid better.
Phlebotomist Training in Colorado
The first thing to know is that you cannot enroll in any training program without a high school diploma or a GED.
You might also have to show:
- Proof of vaccinations
- A clean criminal record
- You passed a TB test
These requirements aren’t universal, so make sure to check with each school before applying.
All training programs need to have these 2 parts:
- Theory classes
- Practice classes
These are some of the topics you’ll be learning:
- Medical terms
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Safety procedures
- The 40 most common lab tests
- The veins used the most for venipunctures
Training to become a future phlebotomist can be offered through community colleges or training centers.
You can see the institutions in Colorado offering such programs, in the table below.
19 Phlebotomy Schools in Colorado
School Name Address Accent Learning Systems 1450 S. Havana #232 Aurora, CO 80012 Arapahoe Community College 5900 South Santa Fe Drive Littleton, CO 80120-1801 Colorado Mesa State University 1100 North Avenue Grand Junction, CO 81501-3122 Emily Griffith Technical College 37835 Astra Way Watkins, CO 80137 Front Range Community College 4616 S. Shields Street Fort Collins, CO 80526 Front Range Community College 800 S. Taft Loveland, CO 80537 Morgan Community College 920 Barlow Road Fort Morgan, CO 80701 Phlebotomy Learning Center of Denver 1780 S. Bellaire St., #780 Denver, CO 80222 Pikes Peak Community College 5675 South Academy Boulevard Colorado Springs, CO 80906 Pikes Peak Community College 100 West Pikes Peak Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80903 Pikes Peak Community College 11195 Highway 83 Colorado Springs, CO 80921 Pikes Peak Community College 11990 Swingline Road Falcon, CO 80831 Pima Medical Institute 3770 Citadel Drive North Colorado Springs, CO 80909 Pima Medical Institute 7475 Dakin Street Denver, CO 80221 Pueblo Community College 900 W. Orman Ave Pueblo CO, 81004 Pueblo Community College 51320 W Highway 50 Canon City, CO 81212 Red Rocks Community College 13300 West Sixth Avenue Lakewood, CO 80228 Red Rocks Community College 5420 Miller Street Arvada, CO 80002 Stillwater College 4155 E Jewell Ave #316 Denver, CO 80222
These courses last for different periods of time, with some taking a few weeks while others lasting even 1 to 2 years.
There are even limited spots in some of the classes organized.
Students will also have to complete a set number of successful blood collections before they graduate.
In many cases, the tuition will cover the costs of everything you could need for the program, while at times, additional fees could be requested.
Students should ensure the school they chose will help them find an internship or even a job after graduation.
Reading reviews of the programs will be useful when making your choice.
By the time you graduate you have to have all the knowledge of how to handle any situation in the blood collection room right from the start.
Phlebotomist Certification in Colorado
Certification will help candidates for a phlebotomist position to actually get hired.
It’s best to obtain the national certification from one of these institutions:
- American Medical Technologists
- American Society for Clinical Pathology
- American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians
- National Phlebotomy Association
To become certified, passing an exam is mandatory.
There are two parts to this examination:
- Practical
- Written or oral
Individuals holding national certification have to renew it.
The shortest renewal period is 1 year for the credential issued by the American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians.
The credential issued by the American Society for Clinical Pathology has to be renewed every 10 years.
Phlebotomist Salary Information in Colorado
Not everyone who becomes a phlebotomist will hold this job for the rest of their lives.
The majority of those employed as phlebotomists will usually choose a different medical field after gaining enough experience.
As such, there’s always a need for such specialists in the medical field.
Your experience, location, and the facility you work for will be the main factors influencing your income.
Below you can see the median salaries of phlebotomists in the largest urban settings in Colorado.
Annual Salary Range:Average Salary of Phlebotomists in Colorado
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Denver | $35,691 |
| Colorado Springs | $35,127 |
| Aurora | $35,668 |
| Fort Collins | $34,357 |
| Thornton | $35,691 |
| Arvada | $35,691 |
| Westminster | $35,691 |
| Pueblo | $32,730 |
| Boulder | $36,154 |
| Greeley | $34,489 |
Regional Salary
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | 90 | $43,160 | $20.75 | $51,150 | $32,790 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 230 | $40,610 | $19.53 | $52,360 | $32,100 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 740 | $44,330 | $21.31 | $51,310 | $36,760 |
| Fort Collins, CO | 250 | $40,250 | $19.35 | $50,350 | $32,240 |
| Grand Junction, CO | 60 | $39,650 | $19.06 | $49,100 | $30,470 |
| Greeley, CO | 40 | $39,060 | $18.78 | $43,520 | $35,340 |
| Pueblo, CO | 90 | $40,930 | $19.68 | $46,950 | $32,500 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Additional Information for Phlebotomists in Colorado
You’ll notice many other medical employees collecting blood samples from patients.
Other medical employees become certified in phlebotomy for a variety of reasons, including a shortage of personnel in the facility and a higher paycheck.
Phlebotomy Schools by City
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