Are you looking to begin a career in healthcare? If so, you may want to consider becoming a patient care technician. But what does the patient care tech job description look like? If you don’t know yet, don’t worry! We are here to help answer your questions about patient care tech duties.
Patient care technician job responsibilities can be both challenging and rewarding. They care for injured, physically ill, mentally ill, and disabled patients as part of a healthcare team. Patient care technicians typically work in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living communities, long-term care, or other medical facilities.
How do you become a patient care technician? Continue reading as we help answer your questions about what the typical patient care tech job description entails, and how you could take the first steps to pursue this career!
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Daily Patient Care Technician Job Responsibilities
Patient care technicians typically work on the frontlines providing patient care. They can be found in hospitals or nursing & residential care facilities and work very closely with the Licensed Practical Nurse or Registered Nurse overseeing them. In general, the patient care tech job description could include:
- taking vital signs of patients
- providing personal care (mouth care, dental care)
- working with patients to make sure IVs are in correctly
- catheter care
- trach-care and keeping the trache site clean
- dressing changes
- deep breathing exercises
- post-mortem care
Patient care technician duties can also include operating equipment such as Hoyer lifts, wheelchairs, walkers, and stretchers to transport patients. As you can see, there is a lot of care that comes with a patient care technician job description. Luckily, these skills could be learned during patient care tech training!
Patient Care Tech Training Michigan Requirements
While certification may not be required for employment as a patient care technician in all instances, it may be required by some employers. Patient care tech training in Michigan can provide you with skills and knowledge needed to challenge a certification exam, upon graduation. The training typically takes one year or less to complete.
Since patient care tech duties include working closely with patients in an actual occupational setting, it could be in your best interest to choose a program that has a strong hands-on component so you can “learn by doing”.
Patient Care Tech Duties – Beyond Typical Responsibilities
A patient care technician’s duties can be demanding. Those who pursue this career are typically driven by their loving and nurturing personality. In addition to technical Patient Care Tech duties, a PCT also serves as a point of contact to patients and a patient’s family. Therefore, having communication and listening skills are important to fulfill the nurturing aspect of the patient care tech job description. Learning about diversity and ethics could be beneficial as well. Having these soft skills is valuable, and could make you a more well-rounded patient care technician.
Patient Care Technician training at Dorsey Schools
Discover how you could fulfill Patient Care Technician duties with the training program at Dorsey Schools! Enrolling in the Patient Care Technician program could be used as a step towards your new career in the healthcare field. At Dorsey Schools, we are committed to training well-rounded students through our healthcare training curriculum.
You could fulfill the necessary Patient Care Technician skills checklist while enrolled in our program. The instructors at Dorsey Schools are experienced in their field, and students can learn through hands-on training in small classroom settings.
Training for a Patient Care Technician career can include learning about infection control, pharmacology, and procedures for drawing blood and performing EKGs. You can also learn about structures of the body, common diseases, treatments, and laboratory tests, and coverage of medical terminology. Through the Dorsey Schools Patient Care Technician curriculum, you could have the opportunity to develop the skills that are necessary for providing quality patient care.
Dorsey Schools also provides the opportunity for students to participate in an externship with a local hospital, long-term care facility, acute care setting, or other medical facilities. Externships are included in the last module of Patient Care Technician training and offer students a chance to gain professional exposure. These externships can provide opportunities for real-world experience in a healthcare setting.
Request information today, and discover how you can get ready to fulfill your Patient Care Tech duties with training from Dorsey Schools!
Your journey toward a career in patient care begins at Dorsey Schools!
