Ultimate Guide to Earning ASCP CE Credits for Phlebotomists

Are you a phlebotomist and want to earn continuing education credits?

The ASCP BOC provides you with all that leads you toward earning the ASCP CE credits for phlebotomists.

Here is what you should do to get ASCP CE credits:

• Attend the ASCP live events, including the ASCP annual meetings
• Subscribe to the ASCP online CE packages that comprise over 500 courses and fit your needs.
• Authoring in the ASCP publications
• Join the ASCP committee
• Serve the ASCP communities
• You can get credits from ASCP-approved association

The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) serves the entire team of lab medicine, including phlebotomists.

Since the inception of ASCP BOC, it has stuck with its mission to provide the best treatment to patients and train lab professionals, including phlebotomists, with the latest practices.

With certification programs, live events, online courses, and many more activities, the board allows you to get the CE credits for your recertification.

All these activities not only meet your certification, institutional, and license requirements but also introduce you to advanced technology that keeps you at the forefront of your field.

In this article, we will focus on the services of the board, which it suggests to earn ASCP CE credits for phlebotomists.

Besides this, you will also learn the best strategies to utilize the ASCP offerings to get the continuing education credits.

Why ASCP CE Credits for Phlebotomists Essentials?

• Meet Recertification Requirements: The ASCP continuing education credits are essential to meeting the requirements of ASCP recertification and keeping you advanced in the field.
• Update Skills: You participate in workshops, seminars, and annual meetings and get the ASCP CE packages for CE credits; all these activities update your skills and learning.
• Improve Patient Care: You will learn actionable techniques for better patient care by participating in the continuing education programs.
• Better Job Opportunities: Earning CE credits makes you dominate in your field and opens new doors to get jobs with higher salaries.

Understanding ASCP CE Credits

The ASCP Board of Certification offers more than 20 certificates to lab professionals, including phlebotomists, and sets a Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) for all.

All the ASCP certifications are valid only for three years.

For continuing practice, you need to update your certificate by participating in the CMP.

ASCP recertification cycle update certificate for the upcoming three years.

But, to participate in this program, you need to earn CEUs (continuing education units).

The ASCP BOC fixes these units for all certifications; for some certificates, you need to get 9 points, and for many, 36 points.

For instance, for PBT ASCP (Phlebotomy Technician), you need to earn 9 CE credits.

The distribution of 9 points is:

• Phlebotomy: 1 point
• Laboratory safety and patient ( i.e quality assurance, quality control): 1 point
• Medical ethics (confidentiality, sexual harassment, compliance, DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion), IBR, and HIPAA). 1 point
• Lab operation (management, education, etc.): 5 points.

How To Earn ASCP CE Credits for Phlebotomists?

The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification determines various resources that help you get ASCP CE credits for phlebotomists.

• You can earn these CE credits by participating in ASCP and non-ASCP activities.
• Attending the workshops and seminars.
• Completing the ASCP online CE courses
• Participating in ASCP certification programs
• Attending the ASCP annual meeting
• Writing articles and journals for ASCP publications
• Attending the phlebotomy conferences

ASCP Online CE Course for Pathologists

• ASCP Online CE Packages
• LabQ Phlebotomy
• ASCP Patient Safety
• Inside the Lab Podcast

ASCP Online CE Packages

• The ASCP offers you plus five hundred online CE packages that support you in getting continuing education units.
• These courses comprise One-Year unlimited online CE credits; you must complete these courses before your purchase date (one year) to earn the CMP points.
• Multi-credit Online CE Packages: This course is flexible and fits with your busy schedule, you can utilize it according to your preferences.

ASCP LabQ Phlebotomy

• The ASCP LabQ-P phlebotomist offer you CMLE credits
• If you are a phlebotomist with the job of transporation blood collection, and handling, this practical program is really actionable for you.

ASCP Patient Safety

• The ASCP patient safety are case-based safety practices that are designed to promote a culture of safety.
• It comprises 8 modules, all of which describe the topics of lab safety practices.
• The topics include; Human factors, communication, culture of safety, methods, and tools for evaluating safety events, safety-enhancing technology, fundamentals of quality improvement, and system thinking and its effects on patients.
• 5 modules out of 10 offer you one credit for medical ethics

Inside the Lab Podcast

• This tool emphasizes current topics to enhance the knowledge of lab professionals, including phlebotomists.
• Present free CE credits to fulfill your CMP requirements.

Other Activities to Earn CE Credits

With the ASCP online CE course, you can use other activities to earn ASCP continuing credits for pathologists.

These activities include:

Become a Member of the ASCP Committee

The ASCP Board of Certification (BOC) establishes many committees that help you earn continuing education units.

The following are the ASCP committee;

• BOC Exam Committee
• Social Media Teams
• Governance and Member Councils
• ASCP Product Team

Credits by Serving the ASCP Communities

If you serve the ASCP communities, you can also get the CE units.

The communities in which you can participate are:

• Career Ambassador 2.0
• ASCP Policy Efforts
• Choosing Wisely + ASCP
• ASCP Patient Safety
• Supporting Public Health Worldwide
• Partners of Cancer Diagnosis and Treatments in Africa

Journals for ASCP Publication

If you author the ASCP publication, CE credits will be added to your ASCP prospects.

The publications that offer you an opportunity to write articles and journals are:

• Critical Value
• Laboratory Medicine
• The American Journal of Clinical Pathology

ASCP Live Events

• The ASCP live events, which include annual meetings, conferences, roundtables, sessions, webinars, and seminars, also provide you with credits and advance your learning.

Credits from Non-ASCP Activities

As an ASCP pathologist, you can get the CE credits by completing the continuing education programs of ASCP-approved institutions.

Here is the list of ASCP-suggested agencies for CE credits

• ASH: American Society of Hematology
• ASH: American Society of Hematology
• CSMLS: Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science
• AMA: American Medical Association
• ASCT: American Society for Cytotechnology
• AAPA: American Association of Pathologists’ Assistants
• AABB
• ASCP CMLE—American Society for Clinical Pathology ( LABQ, CE Update, Workshops, CheckSample, and Teleconferences, for Lab Professionals)

Navigating the ASCP Website for CE Credits

• You can access the services of ASCP CE credits for pathologists by following the below guidelines.
• Your first job is to open your ASCP account
• Once the official ASCP page is displayed in front of you, you will see all the ASCP activities.
• In all, you need to choose the “Learning” section.
• When you click on “Learning,” you will see all ASCP continuing education programs.
• These programs include “ASCP Online Education,” “ASCP Live Events,” “Books and Journals,” etc.
• Choose the best resources that offer you what you need

Tips for Maximizing Your CE Credits

As a phlebotomist, you have to perform your practice in addition to gaining the CE credits.

So you must work wisely to keep a balance in job and credential maintenance.

Make sure to use the following instructions to maximize your CE credits.

Use Multi-credit CE Packages

• The ASCP presents online CE packages for phlebotomists; multi-credit packages are flexible and fit with your schedule, so try to purchase them.

ASCP Membership

• ASCP membership offers you outstanding relief to reduce educational expenses and meet your CMP point.
• Offer your 6 CE credits that you can use for your renewal process
• Exclusive discount on all educational products (LabQ Phlebotomy Volume Online; Member Price: $40.50 and Non-member price is $45)

Try to Get Free Credits

• You must utilize the courses that offer you free CEUs like “Inside the Lab Podcast).
• Many ASCP-approved institutions, like the College of American Pathologists (CAP), provide free credits by completing its continuing education program

Use Non-ASCP Resources

• Phlebotomy Examiner is a website that presents a bundle of resources to phlebotomists to earn CE credits.
• NHA (National Healthcare Association) offers certification for phlebotomists and the opportunity to earn CE credits.

Concluding the ASCP CE Credits for Phlebotomists

ASCP CE credits for phlebotomists are vital to keeping them current with industry standards, offering high-quality patient care, and improving knowledge and expertise.

Participating in continuing education programs, including courses, meetings, conferences, etc., supports the phlebotomists’ commitment to their professional development and maintains recertification.

Make sure to get Ascp membership benefits that maximize your credit requirements.

You must concentrate on free CE credit courses and activities to minimize your educational costs.

Check affordable CE options here?

FAQs for ASCP CE Credits for Phlebotomists