Certified Patient Care Technician Program Overview
The Hybrid Patient Care Technician Program at Param Institute of Education (PIE) is 400 hours (20 Weeks) comprehensive program includes classroom instructions and clinical externship training. The program is designed to advance your career in an already growing Healthcare industry. The PIE will prepare you to work in countless settings, including hospitals, Emergency Department, Ambulatory care centers, Urgent care centers and medical offices, etc. Patient Care Technicians work with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to supervise and monitor patients. As vital members of the healthcare team, they provide direct patient care and involve measuring vital signs, handle lab specimens, practice Infection control techniques, assist during Physical Examination, conduct catheterizations, saline locks and wound care procedures, administer first aid. They are also cross trained in venipuncture, electrocardiography, and general patient care and enjoy much broader responsibilities and advancement opportunities. Once students complete the requirements of the patient care technician program, they’re entitled to take the Patient Care Technician (PCT) national certification exam offered by National Health Career Association (NHA). They can appear in the exam while completing their clinical education.
Why Choose Patient Care Technician?
Many people don’t realize that the patient care technician career is a great way to get your feet wet in the medical field. It’s very rewarding and has a variety of job opportunities, which includes dialysis technician, EKG technician, hospital caregiver, emergency department technician and so much more. It allows you to find out if you want to continue your education onto other pathways or stick to your specialty as a Patient Care Technician (PCT). This type of job has many important reasons why you should consider the career.
It’s rewarding:
A PCT is essential to the healthcare industry and makes a positive impact daily to those in need. This career allows you to work with and build relationships with your healthcare team along with the patients you care for.
Opens a door to higher education:
If you find yourself wanting more once you graduate and gain experience in the field, you can grow your education into the nursing field, healthcare administration and more. Pima Medical Institute offers many pathways you can take with our associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.
You can choose where you work:
Because you learn many different skills in the patient care technician program, you can choose where you want to work, such as emergency rooms, pediatric hospitals, specialty clinics, home healthcare facilities and more. You can even be a traveling dialysis technician.
Enter the medical field quickly:
At Pima Medical, once you complete your nursing assistant certification, you can move into the PCT program, which is only eight months long. This allows you to begin working in the medical field in just a short period of time.
No day is the same:
You will work with different patients each day, caring for them in various ways. Some duties may include wound care, recording patient behaviors, dialysis treatments and bedside care. You may also work with different staff, like doctors, surgeons, RNs or physical therapists.