Patient Care Technician

Tuition and fees. In accordance with the Florida Legislature and Suwannee County School Board, fees are charged for RTC attendance. The Florida resident rate for a Career Certificate is $2.44 per clock hour (non-resident: $9.78 per clock hour in the catalog), so at that rate this 600-hour program’s tuition comes to $1,464.00. Fees vary according to program length and include a tuition fee, a student financial aid fee (10% of tuition cost), a capital improvement fee (5% of tuition cost) and a technology fee (5% of tuition cost).

Approximate total. The catalog’s Florida Resident Total Approximate Cost for the program is $4,217.80. *Tuition Subject to Change. Textbooks are included in the fee statement provided to students; other fees may be assessed as required by an individual program such as state board exam fees, liability insurance, drug tests, and motor vehicle reports.

Non-refundable fees. A $50.00 non-refundable application fee is due when the registration form is submitted for a program. If a class is canceled, the full deposit will be refunded. In addition to the application fee, there is an $88.00 background screening fee for all medical programs, and medical programs also require a fee of $45.00 for drug screening.

Paying fees. All fees are due in full at the end of the ten (10) day drop and must be paid in full before students enter class; programs less than 600 clock hours need to pay prior to the class starting date. Fees may be paid with cash, check, bank debit, credit card, or Apple Pay®. Eligible fees may be deferred when financial aid or veterans benefits are delayed, or under a district-adopted installment payment schedule.

Financial aid. This program is Pell Eligible. The first step to receive any type of financial aid is to apply for federal financial aid (RTC school code 016824). RTC offers two types of federally funded financial aid: Pell Grant and the Florida Work Experience Program (FWEP). To be eligible for Title IV funds, a student must make satisfactory academic progress - GPA, pace and attendance; RTC is a clock hour school and students must attend all hours of each Pell Grant payment period.

Scholarships and other help. RTC awards scholarships through an annual scholarship selection process, including Bright Futures and the RIVEROAK Merit and Academic Development Scholarships. Most programs at RTC are approved for veterans training, and some agencies which sponsor students, such as the Workforce Development Board, may require the federal financial aid application.

Refunds. A 100% refund (less an administrative fee not to exceed $100.00) is issued to students who withdraw up to one week before or on the first day of class; 90% through the first 10% of the enrollment period, 50% through the first 25%, and 25% through the first 50% (less administrative fees, books, laboratory use fees, or non-returnable equipment). No refund is issued once 60% of the enrollment period has been completed, and textbooks and kits may not be returned.

Home Health Aide: Provide routine individualized healthcare, such as changing bandages and dressing wounds, and applying topical medications to the elder­ly, convalescents, or persons with disabilities at the patient's home or in a care facility. Monitor or report changes in health status. May also provide personal care such as bathing, dressing, and grooming of patient.

Nursing Assistant: Provide basic patient care under direction of nursing staff. Perform duties such as feed, bathe, dress, groom, move patients, or change linens. May transfer or transport patients. Patient Care Technicians also assist nurses, doctors, and other health care professionals. They perform duties of a CNA, but are also trained to perform some basic medical duties such as EKG readings and phlebotomy. The laws of each state determine the extent of technician duties.

Credentials. Certificates of Completion are awarded to students who master program performance standards and meet state reading, language, and math minimum requirements for the program. Industry certification: FDMQA002 Certified Nursing Assistant; NATHA002 Certified EKG Tech; NATHA007 Certified Phlebotomy Technician; NATHA006 Certified Patient Care Technician.

Placement. RTC Student Services make every effort to help students obtain a job related to their training: local employers contact RTC when job openings arise and RTC attempts to match student skills to job needs. RIVEROAK at a glance: 92% completion rate, 88% placement rate and 100% licensure success rate.

Orientation. Orientation occurs during the first week of each semester. Students are informed about rules and regulations, parking, food services, attendance, counseling, financial aid, programmatic information, the use of technology, and career pathways. All students are issued an email account to access CANVAS (RTC’s instructional platform) and FOCUS® (RTC’s grade and attendance platform).

Dress code. Students are expected to dress appropriately for their program, and most programs have additional dress code requirements.

Grading. This program uses its own grading scale (93-100 A, 85-92 B, 80-84 C, 0-79 Dismissal); failure to maintain passing grades may result in dismissal from the program.

Insurance. Students enrolled in industrial and health programs are required to purchase school accident insurance, provide evidence of coverage by some private accident policy, or sign a waiver. Health Science students must also purchase personal liability insurance for liability they may incur during clinical practice.

Campus. RIVEROAK Technical College (RTC) is a postsecondary technical training and adult education institution under the authority of the Suwannee County School Board. The 20-acre campus is located in Live Oak, with easy access from U.S. Highways 129 and 90 and Interstates 75 and 10.