In the upcoming years, there will be a high need for this professional path. One of the fastest-growing career paths in healthcare, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects a 21% growth rate for patient care technician jobs.
Today, we’ll go over everything you need to know about choosing a career as a patient care technician after receiving your PCT certification. But first, let’s discuss the definition and specific responsibilities of a patient care technician.
Who is a patient care technician?
Patient care technicians assist and give basic medical care to patients in hospitals, doctor’s offices, nursing homes, and long-term care institutions. During physical exams, a patient care technician helps the doctor by taking the patient’s temperature, pulse, and blood pressure.
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The responsibilities of Patient Care Technicians include:
- Aid patients in getting in and out of bed.
- Follow a patient’s development throughout treatment, including physical therapy.
- Assist people who have mobility problems in wheelchairs.
- Help patients with their activities.
- Be a comforting presence and companion for patients.
- Take samples, such as urine or blood.
- Get samples and deliver them to the proper lab.
- Support patients and their families when they are going through difficult or emotional situations.
- Act as a liaison for visits from family.
Is being a patient care technician a good career path?
Are you looking for a rewarding medical career? If so, becoming a patient care technician might be a great next step for you.
Patient care technicians are frequently hired by hospitals, doctors, and clinics to join their medical teams. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a substantially faster-than-average 8% A lot of hospitals, doctors, and clinics hire patient care technicians to be part of their medical teams available to you in increasingly high demand.
A career as a PCT is ideal for you if you enjoy providing care and support to people. In addition to providing patients with the necessary medical care, you’ll support them emotionally as they deal with their health issues.
Being a patient care technician can make you a good living. The median annual salary for people in this type of position, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is $28,540. It’s crucial to keep in mind, though, that many patient care technicians work rotating shifts. This indicates that if you’re interested in working more hours, you may be eligible for overtime pay. Being in the medical industry is rewarding, but being a patient care technician offers a special kind of satisfaction. In this practical position, you will have everyday opportunities to save lives and affect positive change in your neighborhood.
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How many Jobs are available for Patient Care technicians?
1. Dialysis Technician: $57,800
They are medical specialists, whose major responsibilities involve keeping an eye on dialysis patients, ensuring machine usage is secure and safe, and adjusting patient fluid removal rates as necessary.
2. Emergency Room Technician: $53,297
Healthcare workers that support doctors and nurses in ER are called emergency room technicians. They are in charge of performing general medical activities such as determining the needs of patients, keeping track of their health under the direction of the staff nurse, acquiring information about medical plans, and generating patient reports.
3. Nurse assistant or nursing aide: $37,170
Nursing assistants work in hospitals, community-based long-term care facilities, nursing homes, home care, assisted living, hospices, correctional facilities, and other long-term care settings.
They assist patients with daily tasks like eating and taking a shower. They are supervised by a registered nurse. Patients of all ages receive basic care from nursing assistants, also known as nursing aides, who also assist with daily living activities.
4. Rehabilitation Technician: $31,472
A rehabilitation technician is an employee who works in a rehabilitation facility, such as a physical therapist’s office or even a hospital, under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. They are responsible for assisting the physical therapist in providing patients with healthcare, more efficiently and productively.
5. Home health aide: $29,430
When spending time with a patient, a home health aide is in charge of several tasks. They offer basic regular care and assistance with everyday activities. Assisting with eating, bathing, brushing teeth, administering medication, removing dressings, taking a patient’s temperature and heart rate, and assisting with artificial limbs or walking aids are a few examples of how this might be done
6. Hospital PCT – $35,388
A patient care technician’s primary responsibility is to communicate to the nurse any changes in the patient’s medical state and any potential problems so that the patient feels safe and cared for while receiving medical treatment.
7. Personal Care Aide -$29,430
For people who are unable to care for themselves, personal care assistants provide a range of services. They offer medical care, food services, housekeeping, laundry, and other services to private homes, nursing homes, hospitals, long-term care institutions, and other care facilities. The majority of those who personal care aides assist are the elderly, the cognitively impaired, the physically disabled, and the chronically ill.
8. Monitor/Telemetry- $35,460
A telemetry technician checks for cardiac problems by keeping track of the patient’s vital signs including heart rate and blood pressure using a specialized machine.
You must exhibit expert abilities to recognize patient arrhythmias, abnormalities, or significant changes in baseline cardiac function. Irregular heart rhythms may be a sign of cardiac illness or other conditions requiring specialized care.
9. Travel patient care technician- $45,820
As a traveling PCT, your duties will involve visiting hospitals or patients’ homes to carry out patient care technician duties, which will involve a combination of nursing and nursing aid work.
- Pediatric patient care technician- $51,217
A certified healthcare professional with training in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of children with special needs is known as a pediatric technician. They are located in a hospital’s pediatric wing.
Faqs about patient care technicians
1. Where can a patient care technician work?
Patient care technicians can work in the:
- Hospitals
- Nursing homes
- Ambulatory healthcare services
- Residential care facilities
- Government agencies
- Home healthcare services
2. What are the skills you are required to have to be a patient care technician?
- Communication skill: Clear communication with patients regarding surgeries, drugs, and other topics is essential. This ability will also assist you in communicating your patient’s needs to their medical team
- Patience and Empathy: Work in the healthcare sector may be demanding and stressful. You will provide care for those who are unable to care for themselves as a patient care technician; this will demand a lot of patience and empathy.
- Compassion: Compassion is a great attribute to have when interacting with and helping old, ill, or injured individuals as well as their families.
Conclusion
Being able to assist those in need makes working as a patient care technician very fulfilling. You are giving the patients what they need most, whether they need someone to listen to their worries or assistance getting ready.
If you read this article and think you fit into it all, this is a great career path for you.