Phlebotomy Techniques, LLC, based in Gardner, Massachusetts, provides phlebotomy training and education programming for students of all walks of life. The school was founded by owner Ravin Glaude in 2021 as the culmination of 17 years of her own experience practicing phlebotomy and 7 years teaching students at local vocational schools. Phlebotomy Techniques is an inclusive, hands-on environment that ensures students come away from their class cohort with all of the technical and patient care skills needed to be professional and empathetic phlebotomists.
The Challenge: Establishing a New Instructor Business
Ravin Glaude knew that she was ready for the next step in her career. After training students as an instructor for other programs in her community, she realized that she had the skills and the drive to step out and found a school of her own. Glaude soon began her own research in the field to determine what would be needed to start her own business as a phlebotomy instructor. Part of the requirements would include her officially receiving her Certified Phlebotomy Instructor credentials from a reputable agency.
National Performance Specialists (NPS) stood out to Glaude in her search. NPS offered completely online educational materials including practice exams, study materials, and access to take the final exam for a single rate. She reached out to NPS because of the ease of use and quality of the materials presented and registered as a member. Glaude was also facing the challenges of establishing a new business for herself and her community. The right partner for her business would be an agency with resources for both her and her future students.
The Solution: Certification and Support from NPS
To start with, Glaude reviewed her module materials and practice exams, which took just a few weeks to complete. All of the material review from NPS is self-paced, allowing Glaude and other members to take their time with the content and ensure that they understand all of the concepts being presented. When she finally sat for her final exam, she passed on the first attempt. “Going through the instructor program, I found the materials really straightforward,” said Glaude. “I am not a great test taker, but I found that the materials were easy to read and formatted in a way that made it clear and concise in real world terms for me to relate to and demonstrate my knowledge.” The system immediately scored her exam and sent her confirmation and a digital certificate which she could use for her business as soon as she needed it.
It turned out that NPS provided much more than just straightforward, quality instructor certification. “I finished my exam and was surprised when my advisor Will reached out and asked me what the next step was for me and my career,” said Glaude. NPS became a partner in every stage of her journey to found her new business, providing guidance and support from the very start. “It was extremely helpful to have my advisor guiding me through the process of setting up my own school,” said Glaude. “I had never been through anything like this, and the team understood what common next steps would be and provided me with the direction to keep moving forward.”
NPS continued to provide support as Glaude worked to establish her own business, noting everything from local and state requirements to considerations for marketing, managing students, and offering certification management for her new school. The process was a truly collaborative effort between Glaude and her advisor, who would provide direction and resources every step of the way as Glaude navigated the requirements for founding a school.
Another NPS solution that Glaude took advantage of when starting her business was its Group Management Solution. This program allows instructors like Glaude to register every student that starts a training program in the online NPS portal, giving them access to study materials and practice exams. At the end of the training course, students are prompted to take their final exam online to become nationally Certified Phlebotomy Technicians. Students can take the final exam from any location and, upon passing, receive instant digital proof of certification. The program allowed Glaude to offer national certification as part of her course offering, making it stand out from others in the area as a value-added component.
The Result: Taking Flight with a New Business
The result of all her hard work was the establishment of Phlebotomy Techniques, LLC in the summer of 2021. And the school’s success was immediately apparent by filled class cohorts and the need to establish both day and night courses to meet demand. “Having a system like NPS to help me manage my students and track their progress throughout my course is a game changer for me,” said Glaude. “I just enter them into the computer system and they receive everything they need from the start of the course.”
Glaude also found that the NPS content was a help in supporting her in-class instruction. Her lessons usually consist of a blend of textbook review, presentation materials, and NPS module review to help students bring all of the sources and concepts together, on top of hands-on training and clinicals. Students begin reviewing NPS study modules along with the rest of their course material to help them prepare along the way for their final exam. Glaude noted that she encourages her students to review each module and take the practice exam repeatedly. “The practice exams are where my students thrive on getting the material,” said Glaude. “The more they do the practice work, the better they are at it and some students will do it 10-20 times just to make sure they understand all of the content.”
The NPS Group Management platform also gives Glaude instructor-level insights into every student’s progress and performance. Instructors can see per student who has progressed and reviewed each module, scores on practice exams, and determine which areas of the content may need more focus in the classroom. “For phlebotomy, it’s all about repetition,” said Glaude. “For our 12-week program, we go over the content as much as possible until the students are comfortable and familiar with it, and the practice exams from NPS help to underscore this for me.” The results from the tests are also insightful for Glaude: “I am able to see trends in which questions the students are getting wrong across the board, and that tells me which topics I might need to spend more time on or check with them to ensure they are getting the concepts they need to succeed.”
With the pressures of setting up a new business, NPS was one area that Glaude did not need to worry about maintenance or strain in management: “The support for both me and my students has been amazing. As my students register at the beginning of each class, NPS provides live, hands-on support and troubleshooting as needed, which is a major help to me as I oversee other aspects of the course.” NPS includes live support during regular business hours for all users, instructors and students alike, who have an active membership to the platform. “I’ve worked in the past with other agencies where you’re on hold forever, unable to get a live person to help, and no one calls you back. It’s the complete opposite at NPS, which is critical for me running my own business where time is valuable. They get right back to you with an answer and offer premier, live support every time I or my students need it.”
Phlebotomy Techniques, LLC and Ravin Glaude are already onto their fifth cohort with plans for courses through the rest of the year. Student performance has exceeded Glaude’s initial expectations, with nearly all students passing their national certification exam on the first try. “NPS is easy to navigate, easy to use, and gives my students realistic content that is right to the point and makes sense when it comes to national certification.”
About National Performance Specialists
National Performance Specialists (NPS) is an independent agency dedicated to providing quality, innovative educational resources and accessible certification options for allied health professionals. NPS distinguishes itself with competency-based programs that set the standard for phlebotomy, EKG, and patient care certification and qualified evaluation. With over 5 years delivering initial certification and certification renewal services, NPS continues to innovate by pioneering technology solutions that address the needs of an often laggard and change-resistant industry. For more information about Group Management from National Performance Specialists, please visit https://npscerts.com/schools-and-institutions/group-management/
