Patient Care Technician

Upon completion of the six month Patient Care Tech certificate program, students are eligible to take the Patient Care Technician, ECGs, and Phlebotomy certifications. A Patient Care Technician primarily works under the supervision of a nurse or a physician. Their daily responsibilities include providing basic patient care, providing patient care supplies, wound care, collecting laboratory specimens, safety checks, monitoring vital signs, performing ECG’s and phlebotomy procedures. The Patient Care Technician can work in a vast majority of facilities such as: hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies, rehabilitation centers, and dialysis centers. The projected growth is 11% each year until 2026.

PCTs back up nurses at the bedside. They check vitals, help patients move, assist with bathing and hygiene, and handle simple clinical tasks under direction. You’ll see them on hospital floors, in nursing homes, and at outpatient clinics.

It depends on the employer, but most common are CPCT/A, CNA, and BLS. Those credentials show you can do the work safely and reliably.