– Veinpire, LLC, located in Springfield, Illinois, provides phlebotomy training programs to educate and support aspiring allied health professionals to achieve their career goals. –
Owner and founder Shemekia Walker brought over 20 years of industry experience to the creation of a hands-on, practical program in her community. Walker’s programs focus on clinical competence with an emphasis on cultivating empathy in her students.
The Challenge: Increasing Accessibility for Students
With the changes and obstacles presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, Veinpire, LLC owner Shemekia Walker started to explore her options. As a Certified Phlebotomy Instructor (CPI), Walker was already accustomed to proctoring the national Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) exam for her student cohorts. But students and Walker alike were eager to limit in-person interactions to only the most vital related to required instruction and clinical hours.
Walker began to evaluate options that would help her make proctoring and student resources more flexible, efficient, and accessible in spite of restrictions. Not looking to take shortcuts, Walker also wanted a solution that would support student outcomes and overall program success. “I try to give every student every thing they need to succeed as part of my course,” said Walker. “But students ultimately have to do the work, read the content, and pursue their national certification.”
As Walker evaluated national phlebotomy certification agencies, National Performance Specialists (NPS) stood out as a very viable option. “At first glance, the fact that all of the resources were available on the internet was very appealing,” said Walker. Web-based content and testing could give Veinpire the flexibility it needed to move forward.
The Solution: National Certification for Students Through NPS
The NPS team shared with Walker options for online support available to her as an instructor, not just her students. The Group Management Platform would allow Walker to centralize all of her student information online and provide her students with value-added content and resources. “My students already sit through the training sessions and review hardcopy textbooks,” said Walker. “The addition of on-demand CPT study aids they could review as often as they wanted gave me an advantage to offer over other programs in the area.”
Walker moved forward with phlebotomy instructor certification and a Group Management package with NPS. Group Management gave students unlimited access to study modules that underscore the content taught in live certificate training programs. Walker found that materials in the NPS system aligned with the order of her live lectures and covered topics extensively. “My students can do their reading, come to class, and then review NPS content for triple review in different styles,” said Walker.
Certified to proctor the national exam through the NPS web platform, Walker could build the national certification and supporting content costs into her own program offerings. “This allowed me to expand my own profit margin and business opportunities while giving students a lot of added benefit,” said Walker. Online final exam access through the secure NPS portal also increased accessibility and flexibility while addressing concerns about in-person contact and extra group gatherings during the pandemic.
Virtual access also made it easier for Walker to manage students. While classes remained as hands on as possible, the Group Management let her be hands off with administrative work. “You just add your students, and the software takes care of the rest,” said Walker.
The Result: Expanded Student Opportunities for Success
Offering national certification as part of the Veinpire program increased accessibility for Walker’s students. “Now they pay one fee and get every single thing they need – from training to national certification,” said Walker. Students are less likely to drop off in the transition from completing their certificate training program and getting nationally certified. “They can just take the exam when they are ready, and the system gives them digital proof of their certification as soon as they pass.”
The way NPS implemented technology into the certification tools also made a difference. “I can report on student test results and see where people still need to learn key concepts,” said Walker. “Group Management stood out to me as an instructor, and now it makes my program stand out to potential students.”
Veinpire can offer unlimited online study aids, unlimited practice exams, one final exam attempt, instant registry in the national database as a CPT, and access to digital certification and ID cards. All nationally certified Veinpire students can also take advantage of NPS resume and job placement services at no additional cost.
“My students come to class even more prepared than ever because of NPS content,” said Walker. “I can spend more time on hands-on learning, putting ideas to practice, and stressing the importance of compassionate care.” Students can discover what they know – and what they don’t – with practice exams that point out areas for improvement. In-class training is now more efficient and effective than ever before, giving Walker the ability to grow her business and offer flexibility to students well beyond the pandemic.
About National Performance Specialists
National Performance Specialists (NPS) is an independent agency dedicated to providing quality, innovative educational resources and accessible certification options for phlebotomy professionals. NPS distinguishes itself with competency-based programs that set the standard for phlebotomy certification and qualified evaluation. With over 4 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/
