Patient Care Technician
The Patient Care Technician program combines basic knowledge with applied skills mastered in the classroom and laboratory. Graduates will be certified in CPR, First Aid and AED (Automatic Electronic Defibrillator). Students will also be eligible to take national certification exams to become certified as Phlebotomists, Patient Care Technicians and or EKG Technicians. The student will also possess skills for ward secretary and monitor tech.
Credentials Offered:
General Technology - Patient Care TechnicianPatient Care Technician Certificate
Featured Profile
Megan Deason
Patient Care Technician Major
Graduation Date: May 2018
Ultimately, Megan Deason is interested in becoming a nurse. But in the meantime, she sees the Patient Care Technician program at Piedmont Technical College as a way to get to work in a hospital environment more quickly—and to start developing some of the knowledge she’ll need when she decides to go on.
A Career as a Patient Care Technician
Because health care is changing at an unprecedented pace, new or varied approaches to patient care are emerging. One such approach is the use of multi-skilled individuals known as patient care technicians who are a part of the health care team.
As a patient care technician, your duties may include giving EKGs, taking vital signs, such as blood pressure, pulse and temperature, acting as a phlebotomist, and assisting with medications under the supervision of a registered nurse or physician.
Patient care technician is a multi-skilled field where you will find possibilities for growth and advancement.
What Will I Do as a Patient Care Technician?
Patient care technicians work alongside doctors, nurses and other health care professionals to provide direct patient care in a variety of health care environments.
The patient care technician job description includes assisting patients with many tasks that they cannot do for themselves while they are in hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, assisted living facilities, nursing homes or long-term care facilities. You may assist patients with tasks such as eating, getting out of bed, taking a bath, and brushing their teeth and hair.
Some Job Duties May Include:
- Medical and surgical asepsis
- Basic anatomy and physiology
- Cardiac monitoring
- Electrocardiography
- Phlebotomy
- Clerical skills related to patient care
- Professional and interpersonal concepts
Career Quick Facts
- Career Outlook
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- Median Salary Average: $24,190
- SC Salary Range: $18,710-$32,530
- 87% placement rate for 2017-2018 graduates
Salary and career information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Entry Level Positions
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- Patient Care Technician
- Nursing Assistant
- Employers
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- Active Day
- AnMed Health
- Beach Medical Weight Loss
- Bee Healthy
- Burton Center
- Compass Family Medicine
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Disability & Special Needs
- Edgefield County Hospital
- Greenville Health System
- Greenwood Regional Rehabilitation Hospital
- JF Hawkins Nursing Home
- Langston House
- Laurens County Memorial Hospital (Now Prisma Health)
- Lexington Medical Center
- Magnolia Manor
- National Health Care
- Newberry County Memorial Hospital
- Prisma
- Self Regional Healthcare
- Trinity Mission Health & Rehab
- Wesley Commons
- Whitten Center
Program Information
Graduates of the program will be qualified to work under the supervision of licensed professional personnel and alongside other health care providers in a variety of settings.
Graduates will hold CNA certification and be qualified to sit for the National Certified Patient Care Technician (NCPCT) exam, National Certified ECG Technician (NCET) exam and the National Certified Phlebotomy Technician (NCPT) exam at the completion of the course and prior to graduation. Students will hold a certification in nursing assistant, patient care technician, ECG and phlebotomy.
- Fact Sheet
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Fact Sheets are designed for students and advisors to review program-specific requirements and program application procedures. Please make an appointment with your advisor to discuss your academic goals and progress, and to develop your individualized degree plan.
- Graduation Plan
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Our semester-by-semester graduation plans will show you when required courses in your major are offered. Following this plan will help you stay on track and graduate on time.
