Any nurse will agree that the risk of back injury in their profession is very real.  Floor nursing comes with its own set of stressors but lifting and pulling up patients in bed can cause serious harm to the lower back and spine.

According to the American Journal of Critical Care over 38% of nursing staff across the United States suffered debilitating back injuries in 2003.  The Bureau of Labor and Statistics reported that nurses in private industry took approximately 20,000 days off from work throughout the United States due to back and other related work injuries.  If these statistics aren’t staggering enough the BLS also reported that nurses have a 104 chance out of 10,000 to experience a work-related injury.  These statistics indicate that nursing related injuries are the highest of most other professions with Women’s MMA being excluded.

No nurse wants to be sidelined from their profession due to agonizing back pain and immobility, which is why this topic is so important for nurses.  Nurses must take great care in practicing lifting hygiene.

Injuries related to improper lifting

Improper lifting of heavy patients increases intra-abdominal pressure which can translate into the risk of prolapsed internal genitals and lower spine injury.   Add to this milieu medications such as NSAID’s and poor dietary habits and you have the perfect storm for the beginnings of osteoporosis.  Common injuries found among nurses include lower back strain, L4 and L5 herniations and sciatic nerve damage.

As teachers and care givers nurses provide the best advice to their patients but rarely listen to their own advice.  Nurses should pay close attention to the red flags when they begin to feel lower back pain.  An easy method is to use the SOCRATES pain tool.  This addresses eight features of pain which are, Site, Onset, Characteristic, Radiation, Associated factors, Timing, Exacerbating Factors and Severity.  Many nurses are familiar with the OLD CARTS method which is also applicable.

As care givers it is important to also provide care to ourselves.  Taking time to evaluate aches and pains should be a daily requirement for nurses.  Nurses should ask themselves what they can do differently on their shift to lower their chances of injuring their back.

The key is to know when to recognize that there is a problem before the pain becomes too intense or causes long term damage.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO), self-care is defined as “what people do for themselves to establish and maintain health, and to prevent and deal with illness.”

Let’s review some of the basics of nursing self-care.

1. Know when to rest
2. know when to ask for help (whether it is job related or personal)
3. know how to relax
4. know how to process stress, emotions and frustration
5. know how to lift, when to lift and when not to lift.
6. know when to say, No!

Don’t forget what stress can do to the body!  Stress hormones produce cortisol.  Cortisol also lowers the body’s ability to fight infections by lowering immunity.  Stress can also cause lipids to accumulate to in the arterioles which can lead to atherosclerosis.  Lowered immunity can also cause injured muscles to heal more slowly, thus making re-injury to the site lower to heal.

Basic proper lifting review.

• Stand with your feet about 2 feet or so apart
• Squat down, bending at the hips and knees only
• Keep your back straight.
• Slowly lift by straightening your hips and knees (not your back)
• Hold the load as close to your body as possible

Factors that can exacerbate back pain

Nurses work unceasingly.  They come to work when they are sick, tired, in pain or if their world is falling apart.  Nobel indeed.  But healthy?  Not so much.  If the hospital provides mental health days or sick days, take those days provided.  Many nurses forgo their sick time to earn more money for noble causes, such as daycare, school supplies and bills.  What they need to remember is that they, themselves are also a noble cause and must receive care as well.

To have a long fulfilling career in nursing, it is important that the nurse takes care of themselves. Good lifting techniques and proper attention to self-care can provide nurses with a longevity of helping others.

If you would like to learn more about Phlebotomy Career Training and the courses that are offered through our school please visit; https://pctedu.fusedash.com/

We are located at 28050 Ford Rd. Ste B

Dearborn, MI 48135

Our phone is: 734-762-3220

Fax: 734-762-1718

Whether you would like to take online classes or in person classes, we have the program for you.

Nancy Lydia Kimmel is a MSN Board Certified Nurse Practitioner in Michigan and teaches classes at Phlebotomy Career Training Center.

When it comes to becoming a phlebotomy technician, one of the most common questions we get is if you need to be nationally certified. This article details the requirements of becoming a phlebotomy technician in New Jersey, how much you can expect to earn, and whether a national phlebotomy certification is important.

What Are the Phlebotomy Requirements For New Jersey?

You don’t need to be certified to work as a phlebotomy technician in NJ. However, there are numerous benefits of receiving a certificate. We will discuss this in a later section. In the meanwhile, let’s review some of the mandatory requirements you need to meet to work as a phlebotomist in the state:

• Age: You need to be at least 18 years old to qualify for a phlebotomy training course.
• Education: The state of New Jersey requires prospective phlebotomists to hold a high school diploma or a GED to qualify for a training course. If you are not 18 yet but have these qualifications, you can enroll in a course. However, you will have to wait until you meet the age requirements before you can start finding work in the field.
• Training: There are various phlebotomy schools that offer diplomas and degrees in this field. You can also avail of an externship in a clinic, research laboratory, or hospital to gain some hands-on experience. Most diploma programs last 4 to 6 weeks.

What Is the Pay rate for Phlebotomy technicians in NJ?

One estimate suggests that the average salary of a phlebotomy technician in New Jersey is approximately $37,000 a year. You can usually earn $17.38 per hour at this job. It’s important to note that your pay rate will also depend on your experience and your place of employment.

Why Is National Certification Important for Phlebotomists?

As mentioned at the onset, it is not necessary for a phlebotomist to obtain national certification in New Jersey. However, getting a phlebotomy certification online can do wonders for your career as a phlebotomy technician in NJ. It can enhance your employability and make it easier for you to get a job. This is because it demonstrates your dedication to your profession.

Moreover, a certified phlebotomy technician has a more enhanced skill set and can perform their duties and responsibilities in a better way. Your employer will have the confidence that you possess the qualifications and experience required to do your job effectively and responsibly. You can qualify for higher wages and improve your chances of working at a senior position.

Become Nationally Certified as a Phlebotomy Technician with NAPTP

The NAPTP is the longest-standing authority enabling phlebotomy technicians to become nationally certified in New Jersey and beyond. You can get your phlebotomy certification online and join our network of healthcare partners. What’s more, NAPTP also helps you carve out a lucrative career in phlebotomy and quickly move up the ladder to get higher-paying jobs to achieve professional growth. Our phlebotomists work in prestigious healthcare institutions all across the United States.  Our certification is recognized by ICE, NCCT, AMCA, and NHA, allowing you to work at some of the leading healthcare organizations in the United States.

Get in touch with NAPTP today and find out how you can learn phlebotomy and get certified as a phlebotomy technician in NJ.

28050 Ford Rd, Ste B

Dearborn, MI 48135

734-762-3220

Fax: 734-762-1718

Press Release:

Phlebotomy Career Training has announced on Wednesday that they have officially partnered with Castle Branch.  Mr. N’gganou head of marketing and development stated: “This is a giant step forward in helping our online and in person students secure their sensitive documents all in one place.”  Castle Branch is used by all major nursing schools and medical schools throughout the United States.

Benefits of Partnering with Castle Branch

The partnering of Phlebotomy Career Training and Castle Branch effectively puts the school on the map with other schools such as Michigan State University and Walden University to name a few.  Nancy Kimmel, Director of Admissions stated: “We require all of our students who are planning on doing their clinical externships through us to provide the school an exhaustive list of documents.  Some of these documents include their social security card, drivers’ licenses, health insurance cards and medical records such as drug screen results, TB skin tests and immunization titers.  No one feels comfortable sending these important and private documents through the United States mail.  We must also dedicate a special area for the students documents that is secure and locked, not to mention having one individual who must process them all.  With Castle Branch on board, students are now able to upload all their documents to a secure repository for a minimal fee.  The other great thing is that Castle Branch manages the students information and reaches out to them if they are missing any important documents.”

Accreditation

According to the Castle Branch website, the main purpose is to process background checks, drug screens and sensitive information which is required by colleges, universities, and nursing schools nationwide.  They are accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association which is considered the, “Gold Standard” for background screening.  Castle Branch is recognized as a consumer Reporting Agency.

Clinical Pipeline for Externships

According to Phlebotomy Career Training administrators, their affiliation with Castle Branch fills the gaps between clinical rotations and the instructors.  They stated that their overall purpose is to help gain visibility into their students attending clinical rotations and uncover those students who will make great employees.

From the information that has been gathered, Castle Branch will help with centralized reporting of student’s attendance at their clinical sites, enable instructors to track students progress and verify that students have submitted all their necessary documents to begin their clinical rotations.

Helping Students is the Key to their success

Nancy Kimmel states: “Castle Branch is our externship pipeline.  The task of managing students from across the United States is an almost impossible feat for the staff here at the school.  Most hospitals have stated that before they will accept on of our students, they must be first registered in the Castle Branch system.  This system allows students to also track their own progress.  Clinical staff can make notes in their progress which is then forwarded to our online instructors.  We want all of our students to know that clinicals is a necessary component of their studies and that they must take it very seriously.”

It appears that the partnership with Castle Branch is a step in the right direction for Phlebotomy Career Training.

Phlebotomy Career Training has been in operation since 2009 and serves both in persona and online students.  The programs that Phlebotomy Career Training offers include Medical Assistant, Phlebotomy Technician, Dialysis Technician, Electrocardiogram Technician and many more.  To find out more about the programs that they have to offer please visit: https://pctedu.fusedash.com/

Proper hand washing techniques prevent the transmission of infection and help save lives. Over 280,000 people die of infection related nosocomial infections in various health care facilities yearly. A nosocomial infection is an infection which someone acquires after they have been admitted to a health care facility for another illness. Typically, within 48 hours after admission, if the patient begins to develop signs of an infection, we say that this patient has developed a hospital acquired infection.

When you think about how many things we touch daily, it should come as no surprise that we come in contact with millions of germs. Most germs are harmless in the sense that that do not hurt us. However, if they are viruses or harmful bacteria and we touch our eyes, nose or mouth, we can introduce infection into our body.  Phlebotomy Technicians and medical assistants who work with patients daily must be aware of good hygiene.

The area that comprises our nose, eyes and mouth is also known as the “T-Zone”. Many of us constantly touch our T Zone constantly especially those with allergies. It is especially important to know how to properly wash your hands. So let’s take a look at the steps involved in hand washing, particularly in these trying times of the Corona Virus or Covid-19.

Step 1. Never touch your uniform or clothes to the wash sink. Turn on the faucet with clean paper towel.

Step 2. Rinse your hands with warm water. The water does not have to be hot because it can cause burning and disrupt the epidermis of the skin thereby causing risk of infection.

Step 3. Apply soap. The soap should be antibacterial soap, but any soap should do as long as you use it correctly. Make sure that you use a healthy amount of soap to work up a thick lather. Wash between your fingers, scrub your fingers on your palms to clean your fingernails and wash your wrists by encircling your hand around your wrist using back and forth motion. If you do this correctly it should take about 30 seconds.

Step 4. Rinse. Rinse from your fingertips to your wrist. Also rub your hands together thoroughly until all the soap is gone.

Step 5. Do not FLICK! With the water running, grab enough paper towel to dry in order, fingers, palms and wrists with a dry side of the paper towel. This ensures that the paper towel that dries each part of your hand is fresh and you are not spreading any bacteria from one place to another.

Step 6.Take a piece of clean paper towel and shut off the faucets.

Step 7. If you choose to use hand sanitizer, then a small drop should be sufficient. Rub the hand sanitizer thoroughly into your hands until dry.

Step 8. If you must apply gloves to perform a procedure then now would be the time to apply them.

This may seem like a lot of work, but ask any health care professional and they will tell you that they lose count of how many times they wash their hands within 15 minutes of being on the floor. If you use this hand washing technique you will not only prevent yourself from illness but others as well.
Keep in mind that you should wash your hands before and after using the bathroom, eating, preparing food or anytime you feel the need. Hand sanitizer is not a substitute for hand washing. Though many believe that hand sanitizer can kill everything, they are wrong. There is no substitute for hand washing. The video shows surgical hand washing, which is where the physician washes up to their elbows. This type of hand washing is much more thorough and takes up to 20 minutes. The physician also uses a much more stringent antibacterial soap such as chlorahexadine along with a nail brush.

A small bit of information regarding hand hygiene. Please do not have long painted nails if you are in the food service of healthcare industry. Nails, especially if they are long and can be seen over the tips of your fingers are a health hazard. Bacteria thrive under the nails and long painted nails are a reservoir for many bacteria. Think twice before you begin mixing your meatloaf with you hands.
Keep safe, practice good hand hygiene and we will all get through these trying times without sickness.

But what if you could work where ever and whenever you choose?  Think about it.  Driving on the open road or flying on a plane to California, Hawaii or some exotic destination just to draw blood.

Sounds good right?   What could be better than not having to clock in at 4:00 am?  Being a traveling phlebotomy technician is a dream job for many phlebotomists.  There is a shortage of phlebotomists across the United States.

What does a mobile phlebotomist do?

• Travel! Not only do you travel, but there is a large amount of responsibility put upon you.  The company who hired you expects that you are proficient, time conscious and understand patients.
• It is important to be prompt when you have an appointment whether it’s a health care institution or a patient’s home. It’s unlikely that there will be anyone around to replace you on the spot, but you can keep you job a lot longer if they feel that you are a valuable employee.
• Being able to help a patient remain calm. A good phlebotomist must also know how to take vital signs, such as blood pressure, pulse and respiration.  The reason the phlebotomist needs this knowledge is to help their patients if they pass out, which actually happens more frequently than not.  So, you should have your own blood pressure cuff and stethoscope.
• The ability to store and transport samples properly. If you have to use your own car, make sure that you have one that is good on gas. Even though you will receive reimbursement for the miles you put on your car, you also want to keep your car in good shape and have one that is good on mileage.
• Being a mobile phlebotomist also means getting along well with others and building strong lasting relations. You never know when you will run into them again and more than likely need their help with a situation.
• .

Where do you work as a mobile phlebotomist?

Most phlebotomist work at blood drives across the country where they help test the blood of those wanting to donate.  Mobile phlebotomists travel to various locations, drawing blood for laboratories or blood banks. They have extensive knowledge of best practices and regulations for blood drawing and collection, as well as a high level of flexibility and a willingness to work in changing environments.

Because they travel to client locations, mobile phlebotomists have to be very organized. They must know how to effectively communicate with clients and their peers before and during events, such as blood drives or patient visits at nursing homes or outpatient facilities. Mobile phlebotomists maintain a high level of sanitation and attention to detail.   During patient interactions and blood collection, the phlebotomist must make sure that they wash their hands before and after each patient contact and wear gloves.

Mobile Phlebotomist Salary and Jobs

Establishing your career as a mobile phlebotomist is definitely worthwhile. Not only will aspiring phlebotomists be able to work in different health care institutions, but they’ll also have more freedom to set their schedules without being confined indoors. In addition, if you’re interested in reaching out to more people, this is the line of phlebotomy you should be in.

Mobile phlebotomist can expect to have steady jobs for years to come.  With the increase in the Senior US population, it is expected that over 13% of the US will be over the age of 75 by the end of 2020.  By the year 2030 these numbers are expected to double.

Organizations that require mobile blood donations, such as the American Red Cross always welcome phlebotomists with experience.

A Mobile phlebotomist can expect to make an attractive salary of at least $30,000 per year.  Their jobs also include many perks, such as travel pay, accommodations and food.  If you are one of those people who like to be on the move and constantly have new experiences, then becoming a traveling phlebotomist may be the next job for you.

If you would like to learn more about phlebotomy or are considering taking a class to become a phlebotomist, check out Phlebotomy Career Training.  They are the leader in both in class and online phlebotomy training since 2009.

Notice to all our students and future students

Phlebotomy Career Training is taking the necessary steps to ensure everyone’s safety.

In light of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, and the fact that the seasonal influenza (flu) virus is also widespread, we are taking proactive steps to address a number of business concerns. First and foremost, we want to maintain a safe workplace and encourage and/or adopt practices protecting the health of our students, employees, customers, visitors or others. We also want to ensure the continuity of business operations during this pandemic.

We ask all students and employees to cooperate in taking steps to reduce the transmission of communicable diseases in the workplace. Employees are reminded of the following:

• Stay home when you are sick.
• Wash your hands frequently with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds.
• Cover your mouth with tissues whenever you sneeze, and discard used tissues in the trash.
• Avoid people who are sick with respiratory symptoms.
• Clean frequently touched surfaces.

Phlebotomy Career Training is keeping class sizes small.  Additionally, we are offering all students respirator N-95 masks should they choose to wear one.  We are also providing alcohol-based hand sanitizers throughout the workplace and in common areas. We encourage all students to make use of the multiple handwashing sinks and wash their hands when they come to class.  Cleaning sprays and wipes are also provided to clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces such as telephones and keyboards.

Employees are encouraged to use telephone and video conferencing instead of face-to-face meetings as much as possible during this outbreak. IT support services are available to employees who need assistance with this technology.

It is critical that students and employees do not come to the school while they are experiencing respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills or fatigue. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that employees remain at home until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever (100 degrees F or 37.8 degrees C) or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medications. Many times, with the best of intentions, employees report to work even though they feel ill.  We understand that our students and their families are concerned about the virus and we at Phlebotomy Career Training are standing vigilant to ensure the highest measures of safety for our staff and students.  Let us work together to help everyone remain healthy.

Please keep up with the latest information regarding the Covid 19 virus.

Also please visit the CDC for more up to date information according to your state of residence.

CDC is working across the Department of Health and Human Services and across the U.S. government in the public health response to COVID-19. Much is unknown about how the virus that causes COVID-19 spreads. Current knowledge is largely based on what is known about similar coronaviruses.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in humans and many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people, such as with MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. The virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading from person-to-person in China and some limited person-to-person transmission has been reported in countries outside China, including the United States. However, respiratory illnesses like seasonal influenza, are currently widespread in many US communities.