Stories @ TCAT

The phlebotomy training program at TCAT Elizabethton is popular because jobs exist in the region. Instructor Loretta Eades says salaries for phlebotomists in the region range from $10.50 to $16.00 per hour.

In one trimester, which lasts four months (432 clock hours), students are taught how to draw blood via venipuncture or skin puncture. Students learn how to draw blood from a mannequin and also from classmates as part of the training.

The program prepares students for the National Phlebotomy Certification Exam and employment as a phlebotomist. Graduates of the program received a Phlebotomy Technician Certificate (PTC).

Students must be at least 18 years of age. Classes meet from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm Monday-Thursday at the

Tennessee College of Applied Technology, 426 Highway 91 North, Elizabethton, across from the Elizabethton Municipal Airport in the Watauga Industrial Park.

Prior to admission, students must provide a copy of their high school diploma or equivalent; score at least a level three in reading and math on the Assessment Test in Tech Foundations; provide proof of CPR for the Health Care Provider Certification; provide proof of Healthcare Providers Service Organization Liability Insurance; proof of rubella and varicella immunity; negative TB skin test or chest x-ray; and be subject to a drug screen and criminal background check.

The approximate cost of the program, which qualifies for Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect scholarships, is as follows:

  • Tuition $1,229.00
  • Tech Fee 73.00
  • Activity Fee 10.00
  • Black Scrubs (2) 60.00
  • White Shoes 25.00
  • Textbooks 200.00
  • Liability Insurance 12.00
  • Total $1,749.00

Note: Program costs are subject to change Additional Costs: TB Skin Test• Hepatitis B Immunization • CPR Certification• National Certification Test ($115)

UNITS OF STUDY
(Hours shown in parenthesis)

  • Worker Characteristics (6)
  • Orientation (10)
  • Safety and Infection Control (16)
  • Medical Terminology (12)
  • Phlebotomy Procedures (88)
  • Customer Service and Interpersonal Skills (15)
  • Math and Calculations (8)
  • Anatomy and Physiology (40)
  • Collection Procedures (85)
  • Clinical and Co-op (152)

Total 432 clock hours

For additional information, contact Loretta Eades, Instructor; email address: Loretta.eades@tcatelizabethton.edu;

Telephone 423-543-0070.