With a new diploma from the Phlebotomy+ECG program at the Bristol Campus, Chrissy Holstein is one step closer to realizing her dream of owning a business caring for patients in their homes. “I didn’t want to be a CNA for the rest of my life,” she said as she explained how during her eighth year in the medical field, she knew it was time to do something so she could move up.
With National’s flexible course schedules, she was able to keep her full-time job and attend school at the same time. “It all worked out the way it needed to,” Chrissy said of her work/education balance. “I had a couple online classes which helped out, especially with as many hours as I was doing [between work and school].”
Chrissy received hands-on training through a clinical externship at Saltville Medical Center which was setup by the campus’s clinical coordinator. She was able to complete the 120-hour requirement three weeks before that term ended. “My externship was fantastic!” she said describing her experience. “We didn’t just do venipuncture. We did capillary [punctures] and urine samples; we spun the samples down; and we prepared collections for the lab pickup.”
The completion of her coursework and externship afforded her the opportunity to take the state and national exams to be a certified phlebotomy technician. “The school set all of that up for us two weeks before graduation…I passed both [exams]!” She feels like her new diploma is just what she needed to move up in the medical field. “It is going to bring so much more to me than what I had before.”
Because of her hard work and dedication, Chrissy got a job right after graduation working for Grifols Plasma. One day she hopes to use her experience and education and open a home health company where she can combine her training as a CNA and a phlebotomist, “That would be my dream.”
