The healthcare industry changes everyday, making continuing education vital to your success as an allied health professional. That’s why NHA requires Continuing Education (CE) credits to maintain certification. And when it comes to creating new educational content, we turn to some of the industry’s top experts — active leaders of the allied health community who are helping shape the future of healthcare.
People like Wanda Chaney-Tardy, RN BSN, CRNI, CPT2, the expert responsible for the new CE article in our “Tricks and Trends of the Trade” series: Tricks and Trends of the Trade-Phlebotomy.
Wanda's best advice for your career journey? Do not fear change.
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
Wanda believes that it's our fear of failure that compels us to avoid change. But "without the discomfort of change," she says, "it is impossible to grow."
But thanks to Wanda's article, you can help prepare for the changing landscape of phlebotomy. In her CE piece, she provides an overview of phlebotomy today, including:
- Latest inventions in phlebotomy
- A review of phlebotomy standards
- Ways to avoid preanalytical errors
- Soft skills that make you a better team player
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There's a reason we sought out Wanda's expertise in phlebotomy. Wanda is a certified phlebotomist that has served in numerous phlebotomy roles since 1991. Her career journey has taken her into home care and hospital settings and into the educational arena.
Wanda has been active in phlebotomy education since 1999. She is the owner of Complete Phlebotomy Training Inc. where she also serves as a certified instructor through the California Department of Public Health, Laboratory Field Services. In addition to her phlebotomy skills, Wanda is also a registered nurse and is certified in PICC line insertions. She is passionate about serving others and watching her students flourish in the industry.
We asked Wanda a few questions to help you get to know more about her outlook on the industry and some of the tips that led to her career success. Keep reading to get her valuable career insights.
What personality traits have been the most useful in your career in healthcare and why?
As an extrovert, I tend to be adventurous, outgoing and sociable, as well as very imaginative and creative. I enjoy diverse situations where I work together with others in finding new and innovative ways to reach common goals.
What are some best practices to ensure that you are keeping up with the industry?
Some of the best practices which I use to keep up with industry standards include reading journals such as access™, the allied health journal created by NHA, Phlebotomy Today-STAT! put out by the Center for Phlebotomy Education and various resources and articles from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
I also enjoy attending conferences and interacting with phlebotomy students and other educators.
What is the value of being certified in your areas of expertise?
I place a high value on certification as the process of becoming and maintaining certification encourages us to be aware of the standards and expectations in our chosen field.
Being certified also helps me keep in touch with other professionals via the certifying group, NHA. Journals and social media keep us in touch with others who strive to uphold standards in our chosen field.
Can you describe what is included in your “Tricks and Trends of the Trade” CE series that healthcare professionals would benefit most from?
The benefits to reading my article will be multi-dimensional, including: "Latest inventions in phlebotomy," a thought-provoking section meant to inspire the imagination, a review of the standards, with helpful ways to avoid preanalytical errors and a comprehensive review of the intangible soft skills, which make us better team players.
There is also a case study with thought-provoking questions meant to draw out the critical thinking skills of any healthcare provider.
NHA certificate holders have exclusive access to our CE library with no additional fees. To access Wanda’s article and earn 2 CE credits, log in to your NHA account now.
Articles within this series are well suited for those practitioners with field experience related to the content, as you will call upon that knowledge plus these tips to deepen your understanding and complete “Tricks and Trends of the Trade” CE units.
Before completing NHA CE, you should check the rules or regulations of the licensing or regulatory agency of your state, in case there are different requirements.
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We’re grateful to have experts like Wanda contributing valuable content in our newest CE series: “Tricks and Trends of the Trade.” We believe there’s no better source of learning than the men and women who are actively working — and leading — the industry today.
Want to get to know the other authors behind the newest CE series? We introduced you to Amy Rausch, Registered Respiratory Therapist, and we have one more expert for you to meet next — Christopher Touzeau, MS, FNP-C, NRP. Be sure to get on our mailing list (using the form on the sidebar of this page) so you don’t miss it!