1. IS A CAREER AS A PATIENT CARE TECHNICIAN FOR YOU? Here are some answers to your questions

2. What is a Patient Care Technician? ■A multi-disciplinary technical healthcare provider trained to provide basic nursing assistant care as well as other skilled function. ■Works and collaborates with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to provide direct patient care in a variety of healthcare settings. ■Plays an a primary role in the healthcare delivery setting often having more patient contact than any other member often the healthcare team. ■The role includes duties traditionally performed by the staff from several different departments such as nursing, phlebotomy, and electrocardiography (ECG).

3. Working Hours ■Various shifts – including 8 hours, 10 hours or 12 hours ■Weekend and Holidays

4. Typical Duties ■Assisting patients with tasks they are unable to do for themselves. ■May deliver food trays and help feed the patient if needed. ■Assist patients to walk, perform range of motion exercise or position themselves comfortably in their beds. ■Other duties may include helping patients dress and bathe. ■Can also assist in basic medial procedures. This can include assisting doctors and nurses with treatment, reporting patient condition, and recording vital signs, such as blood pressure, heart rate and temperature. ■A patient care technician may also draw blood or help perform electrocardiographs.

5. Starting Salaries for Patient Care Technicians ■Nationally, the middle fifty percent earned between $26,000 and $30,000 per year.

6. What Job Opportunities Exist? ■Jobs are available in nursing care facilities, hospitals, resident care facilities, home heath care services, government agencies, ambulatory health care services, urgent care facilities and doctors offices.

7. Things to Consider About the Patient Care Technician Program ■Curriculum is demanding – requires extensive reading, study time and good time management. ■Critical thinking skills are essential. ■Patient Care Technicians (PCT) deal with sick and dying people. There is a great deal of odor with some diseases and patient’s conditions. ■Patient Care Technicians deal with excrement, urine, vomitus, blood, bed sores, sad and angry people and patients with mental health issues. ■There is a great deal of physical work associate with this job

8. Things to Consider About the Patient Care Technician Program ■This job requires sitting, standing, waling, frequent bending, squatting, reaching, occasional kneeling, twisting, and exposure to change in temperature/humidity and fumes are common. ■Included in essential functions of this job are lifting, carrying, positioning, and moving patients both manually and by stretcher. ■Both hands are used for power grip, speed and precision work. ■Use of both feet are required.

9. What Skills Do You Need to be Successful as a Patient Care Technician? ■Responsible/reliable ■Flexible/adaptable ■Good communication sills ■Like working with people and equipment ■Strong interest in science ■Able to apply principle of logical or scientific thinking ■Able to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form

10. How Long is the Patient Care Technician Program? ■The program is two semesters and includes the following courses: –AHS 102 – Medical Terminology –AHS 117 – The Care of Patients (CNA Course) –AHS 120 – Responding to Emergenice4s –AHS 105 – Basic Keyboarding –AHS 141 – Phlebotomy for the Healthcare Provider –AHS 145 – Electrocardiography –AHS 176 – Patient Care Clerical Principles –BIO 112 – Basic Anatomy and Physiology

11. Can you See Yourself as a Patient Care Technician? If the answer is yes, please feel free to contact Enrollment Services @ 803- 327-8008