Are you looking for an opportunity in the healthcare sector?
Do you wish to work with the patients?
Then, becoming a patient care technician is the career you have been waiting for!
The healthcare industry has an ongoing need for patient care technicians and there are plenty of such caring and compassionate people who live to help others.
If you are one of them, then you are in the right place.
Read on to learn everything you need to know to become a Patient Care Technician and get an insight into the following FAQs:
- Who is a patient care technician?
- What is the role of a patient care technician?
- What are the duties of a patient care technician?
- What are the skills required to become a patient care technician?
- Where do patient care technicians work?
- What are the requirements to become a patient care technician?
- How do you apply for a role as a patient care technician?
Who Is a Patient Care Technician?
Patient Care Technicians support healthcare workers by providing basic medical care.
They help with measuring patients’ vital signs or drawing blood samples and are members of the designated care team that function under a nurse.
Patient Care Technicians also provide care and support to the patients. They assist patients with their daily routine and help them move around.
What Is the Role of the PCT?
Patient Care Technicians work under the supervision of healthcare professionals such as nurses. They provide medical care and might become proficient in dispensing medications.
Patient Care Technicians provide comfort to the patients under their care and often work with the same patients for multiple years. They frequently develop close relationships with the individuals under their care.
What Are the Patient Care Technician Duties?
Some of the day-to-day PCT job responsibilities include:
- Performing basic medical tasks such as measuring and recording vital signs, preparing and recording patients’ charts, collecting routine specimens.
- Listening to the concerns of the patients and reporting them to their superiors.
- Turning, moving, or relocating patients and assisting in their transfer while adhering to necessary safety precautions.
- Helping patients with daily tasks such as bathing, getting dressed, and having meals.
- Completing errands as requested, retrieving supplies, specimens, and instruments and their delivery.
What Skills are Required for a PCT?
The skills required to become a Patient Care Technician are:
| Compassion | Patient care technicians are compassionate people who enjoy helping others. |
| Kindness & Empathy | They care for people who are not able to do so themselves. It requires a high degree of patience, kindness, and empathy. |
| Communication | This is pertinent for a Patient Care Technician to understand their patient’s concerns. Further, they should be able to convey such matters to their superiors and colleagues. |
| Information Dissemination | Their work also requires conveying information to the patients’ families or visitors. This type of interaction requires courtesy and tact. |
| Physical Strength | Patient Care Technicians also require a great deal of physical stamina and fitness to carry out tasks. They need to spend hours on their feet. Occasionally, they help patients to move around or relocate who have difficulty doing so on their own. |
Where do Patient Care Technicians work?
Patient care technicians are employed wherever patients require extra help throughout their day. They are employed to look after the sick, injured, or elderly.
The majority of the patient care technicians work in nursing homes or retirement communities. Many jobs are available within hospitals, home care providers, or outpatient care centers.
Most Patient Care Technicians work full-time in rotational shifts. They work during nights, weekends, and holidays as patients need them at all hours. Some patient care technicians also work part-time with some employers.
What are the Requirements to Become a Patient Care Technician?
Here is a step-wise guide to the education and certifications required to become a patient care technician:
Education
To get started in the healthcare industry as a Patient Care Technician, enroll in a Patient Care Technician Diploma Program from an accredited college or university. Employers ask for a diploma to assess if you have the potential skills and knowledge to treat patients.
While specific schools have different grounds for selecting potential students for the diploma program, the general rules remain the same. They require:
- A School Diploma or GED
- Passing Score on a Scholastic Level Exam
The Patient Care Technician Diploma would help you develop theoretical and practical skills. Passing the diploma program would require a lot of effort and hard work. It usually takes a year for students to complete the program, but some students complete it in less than a year.
License
Licensing requirements vary by state, but getting certified by a nationally recognized organization is necessary to show employers that you have mastered the skills to become a Patient Care Technician. The National Centre of Competency Testing is one such organization that offers a certificate to qualified candidates.
How Much Do Patient Care Technicians Earn?
Patient Care Technicians earn $18.51 per hour on average. The pay rate is determined by the amount of experience, education, and location.
How Do you Apply for a Role as a Patient Care Technician?
It is important to have a winning resume on your side when applying for roles and finding jobs. You must fulfill the PCT job requirements. The two major things to keep in mind are to read the job description and then translate it onto your resume.
Patient Care Technician Job Description
It is important to read the PCT job description to understand the expectations of the employer. The employer would have specified the qualifications, experience, and skills required to efficiently discharge the duties as a Patient Care Technician.
Also Read: Patient Care Technician Job Description
How Do you Describe a PCT on a Resume?
Actions speak more than words. The best way to describe a PCT on a resume is to furnish details of your experiences on your resume. In case you are a fresher who has just graduated from college, furnish details of your practicum where you looked after real patients in a supervised setting.
Include these points in the work experience section of your resume:
- Mention basic duties that were assigned and how effectively you managed to complete them. For instance, performed necessary and requested patient procedures for five patients under my care.
- The employer wishes to know if you were able to form a bond with the patients. It conveys that you are a dedicated worker. For instance, providing emotional support, physical assistance, and encouragement to patients recovering from alcohol abuse.
- Mention your key achievements to fetch brownie points. For instance, successfully assisted 10+ patients per week.
Key Takeaways
Patient Care Technicians take care of patients as one of their own and look after their needs. To become a patient care technician, the following broad points must be kept in mind:
- Patient Care Technicians work under the supervision of nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals.
- They perform basic medical tasks, listen to the concerns of the patients, help patients with daily tasks, and complete errands.
- They are compassionate people that show kindness and empathy, have great communication skills, and can work for long hours.
- Employers ask for a diploma to become a Patient Care Technician to assess if you have the potential skills and knowledge to effectively treat patients.
- A license is required to practice as a patient care technician.
- Read the Job description carefully before applying and mention those skills, qualifications, and experience as required in the job description.
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