It could be another hospital’s term for a PCT. Also, thank you for your post it was very insightful. Come join us! I thought you had to be a paramedic to do that. It's more independent in the ED and is more hectic - which I like. After the doc sees the patient and gives orders, I'll go start an IV on this patient and draw labs, probably do a repeat EKG at some point, etc. CNA: ONE STUDENTS JOURNEY Autumn, a current Patient Care Technician student at Caris College, is currently working as a Certified Nursing Assistant at a long-term care nursing home. I also did some charting, though not as much as a clerk is trained to do. *The Sierra includes ice axe, traction device, and bear canister. Whether it’s hemodialysis, CPR or basic hygiene, you help patients get healthy with timely precision and emotional support. Patient Care Technician (PCT) Resume Sample & Skills; Patient Care Technician (PCT) Resume Sample & Skills. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the prephysicianassistant community, Continue browsing in r/prephysicianassistant. To be a PCA, you only need a high school diploma and on the job training. I'm about to take an EMT course with the plan on becoming an ER Tech. Rachel Dennis works as both a professional writer and health care provider. I didn't bring my camera with me so I had to use my phone. Keep in mind that I have 9 other patients that I'm doing similar things with, all at the same time. PCT is the abbreviation for patient care technician and CNA is the abbreviation for certified nursing assistant. I thought EMT cannot work on ambulances. Doctors, PA's (no NP's in my ED), nurses, and other techs are always happy to teach me things and I've earned respect amongst them, which helps a ton. [h=3] [/h] My experience working at a 30 bed community ED is different than my friends who work in the 250 bed trauma center and big hospital, though their duties generally mirrored mine. Prove all that in your PCT resume to land that interview. PCT vs PCA? At /r/cna/ we share our stories of caring for patients/residents and advice on how to best accomplish our mission of providing the best possible care for those in our charge. But usually patient care technicians, or “techs”, are EMTs or Paramedics who are able to do quite a bit more than Patient care associates. If you are a current (or aspiring) CNA, Dialysis Technician or Phlebotomist who enjoys building relationships, working in a team-oriented environment and providing outstanding clinical care, becoming a PCT could be for you. I've also worked on ambulances. The ambulance was a ton of fun and I learned so much about how to care for people, how to recognize when a situation is serious, and how to deal with bullshit. She has been a licensed health care provider since 1998, with work experience as a medical assistant, certified nursing assistant and emergency medical technician. I did go on loan to med-surg a few times, usually to sit on 5150s or help move obese patients, so I can't really comment on what CNAs or techs in that service do. As the only tech on at a small hospital, I saw every patient that come in the doors, and saw their progress through the ED to discharge or upstairs for admission. Do some more stat labs, assist with living activities as needed, etc. It took about a month for the nursing staff to trust me, but once I earned their trust, what I actually did greatly expanded. I definitely get to interact with the PAs and doctors a lot more than I did on the floors. Not yet a PA student, but I've been an EMT on an ambulance and an ED Tech (currently). One might be marginally better clinically, but if all you can get is 10 hours per week worth of work, the clinical quality will ultimately be irrelevant compared to the extra years before it would take you to meet the median PCE requirement. As a PCT (patient care tech - same as CNA) who worked on a general medicine floor for 1.5 yr and then transferred to the ED (it's been 3 months now) , I have got to say I love the ED a whole lot. Clinically I pulled IVs upon discharge, cleaned and irrigated wounds, help/positioned patients for procedures, took lots and lots of vitals, take urine samples, administered ambulation challenges, administered vision tests, gave crutch/walker instruction, dressed patients in gowns, assisted EMS crews to transfer patients to our gurneys and changed patients, put on commercial splints on wrists/ankles/knees, perform compressions in CPR, apply restraints.The ED physicians, Ortho PA, and nurses taught me how to measure and splint with plaster and orthoglass, though I was never allowed to splint these unsupervised, due to the hospital's MOU. I leave and go do whatever else needs doing (stat labs, urine samples, ambulating patients, restock, drinking coffee, etc.). As a dialysis Patient Care Technician (PCT) you'll play an important role in the lives of patients and their families. E: admissions@burnett.edu Tel: 561.736.3998 Fax: 561.736.3958 Address: 2601 S Military Trail West Palm Beach, FL 33415 I am a patient care technician with just a cna, not an emt or a paramedic. Both work in health-care facilities, providing basic care to patients. I was an ER tech for a year, and a ski patroller for 7 year before that. Press J to jump to the feed. It will take 2 to 3 years to complete the educational requirements for a PCT to become an RN. I saw a ton on 911 and interfacility transfers. Triage took vitals and did an EKG; the patient is sitting at 160bpm but they're sinus, for now. What Is the Difference Between a PCT and a CNA? Press J to jump to the feed. In these programs, you learn your skills by working under a licensed nurse or nurse aide. The patient care technician often works in hospitals, sub-acute care facilities and nursing and rehabilitation facilities providing care for patients. I would 100% encourage people to be techs. I know other patient care technicians who are also emt’s, but they do NOT perform the same duties as an emt when they work here. We also have paramedics who do the duties of a paramedic in the ED and on my floor (medsurg). A PCT and a CNA are almost the same thing, except a PCT works in a hospital and has additional training and job duties. Autumn said there is a big difference when comparing the job responsibilities and duties of a Patient Care Technician (PCT) and a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). I've heard that clinics/hospitals don't really hire EMTs as Techs straight out. I live in Los Angeles, so maybe the laws are different? Check out the r/PAstudent subreddit once accepted and r/physicianassistant after graduation. I know emt can work on the inter facility vans, but that's about it. An overview of The Triple Crown of Hiking and a breakdown of the main differences between these three iconic thru-hiking long trails of America: The Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail (or AT vs PCT vs CDT). As a tech, I worked 3 12s, almost always with the same nurses. It was a good choice to transfer. PCT - According to the data provided by indeed.com, the salary of the Patient Care Technicians was $37,723 per year and $12.64 per hour (as of January 29, 2017). I have no idea what a patient care associate is. What Is the Difference Between a Patient Care Technician (PCT) and a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)? Like others have said, it's area-dependent on whether or not you can work in the ER as an EMT (I can't where I live, unfortunately), whereas every hospital I know of has CNA/PCTs working in every department. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. As per the information of payscale.com , these professionals earned $10.06 – $17.05 per hour (as of October 28, 2016). In my experience a hospital in Florida will tell you what they want in their job posting. The CNA 2 will be able to provide opportunities for a person’s optimal independence and support behaviors that promote positive healing. Learn how to dose Nolvadex, learn how to construct a SARMs cycle with Nolvadex PCT, and how to use Nolvadex on cycle. Once I learned how to measure well, I started to splint a lot. After working in the field for a long time, it's a whole new game indoors. I ask what's going on, get an idea of things, and then the nurse comes in. According to Anjus Chiedozie's article for eHow.com called "Patient Care Technician Vs. CNA," PCT and CNA are interchangeable because they are "the same type of profession." They are both extremely important in the nursing field and are both responsible for patients. In the end, I am really grateful for my time as a tech. A CNA 2 will be able to demonstrate to peers the correct I just got my CNA certification and one of the jobs I'm applying to is on a telemetry unit. I cannot recommend being a tech enough. PCTs perform the same tasks as CNAs, … So you may need to certify again if you move or take a job in another state. Triage tech walks them back to a room, tells me what's going on, and I go in to introduce myself and hook them up to Sp02, BP cuff, and three lead heart monitor. I decided to do a "Day in the life of a Pediatric PCT/CNA." COME TO WORK WITH ME!.. I perform venipunctures, do … The PCT may take a patients vitals, administer medications, perform phlebotomy duties, collect urine samples and other preliminary medical duties. I'm an EMT. I've done a lot of splinting, helped cath a lot patients, helped with a lot of NG tubes, stood next to the physician while he was tubing patients and giving me a play-by-play. But in my hospital, ED techs do way, WAY more than floor techs, who are basically just nursing aids who help with daily living needs. The minimum requirement to become an RN is an associate's degree, but you can also earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). This video is going to be about how much money CNA/PCT/tech/Nursing Assistants make specifically in the hospital setting! As someone who is EMT certified and now working as an ER scribe, I would recommend becoming a CNA or PCT. Can someone please clarify the difference in these roles and the expectations in care for each? I was always under the assumption that a patient care associate (PCA) and a patient care technician (PCT) were the same roles, but recently I’ve heard otherwise. Hello, I recently accepted an offer as a patient care associate on a hospital floor. One route to becoming a patient care technician is to receive training through a hands-on, on-the-job training program. My non-clinical duties included stocking, running stat samples to the lab, turning beds, answering the phones, assisting with transfer paperwork, and just being helpful. She has been writing since 1994 and … You may need additional time to study for the state's nursing exam. The ambulance is awesome. Unlicensed assistive personnel. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Salary estimates are based on 18 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by PCT/CNA employees. I love my job, I've learned a shit ton about medicine, how to manage time, how to be chill and efficient when there are over 70 patients in our ED and we're short staffed, and how to work as a team. From there, my interaction with the patient further will consist mostly of fulfilling comfort needs and other random things. See all PCT/CNA salaries to learn how this stacks up in the market. I have a few friends who've worked in other EDs who started only a few months out of their EMT program, or with little experience. The biggest practical difference between CNA and PCT is the level of procedures they may be expected to perform. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this type of training can be as short as just a few days, depending on exactly what the employer wants you to do as a patient care technician. I worked with other EMT's, paramedics, and critical care nurses, all of whom had something to teach me. They know about my immediate family members’ names. In some states or hospitals, CNAs will administer medication to patients depending on the CNA's training and the state's requirements. Hello, I recently accepted an offer as a patient care associate on a hospital floor. I go through the same grief stages as the family does. The national average salary for a PCT/CNA is $27,500 in United States. Wildlife, weather, terrain, distance, culture, history and more. A CNA 2 must be regularly supervised by a licensed nurse and all skills and tasks are to be performed only at the direction of the licensed nurse. They can be located on the sidebar or at the pinned post titled "START HERE". A CNA works under the supervision of a physician, Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), helping with patient healthcare needs. Can’t speak exactly to your situation. I learned to adapt to situations one wouldn't expect, from a patient suddenly crashing to a patient suddenly trying to jump out of the back of my rig. Find out if Nolvadex or Clomid is the best PCT, and also learn if … My life as a Hospice CNA is also very emotional because I have lost many patients. I feel like as an ER tech, I get to do more than I did as a PCT. In other words, it's fucking cray-cray erryday. CNA stands for Certified Nursing Assistant. Generally, however, training continues for at least several months. CNA’s perform basic patient care functions such as bathing, feeding, repositioning, and moving a patient. I perform venipunctures, do EKGs, apply splints, irrigate wounds. I learned a lot. A: A certified nursing assistant (CNA) and a patient care assistant (PCA) are not necessarily the same thing, though they perform very similar jobs. The average salary of a … Med/surg is cool because you get to see the prognosis of patients and you would definitely learn a lot. These base weights are missing gear (headlamp, extra clothing, electronics, etc. Atlanta Career Institute (ACI) is a State Approved Patient Care Technician (PCT) Training program licensed through the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC).Our PCT training classes are specifically designed for students to learn with ease, using a variety of teaching methods. I feel like as an ER tech, I get to do more than I did as a PCT. Once I earned the respect of the nursing staff, they taught me an incredible amount. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. When critical shit happens, I'll do chest compressions, stand by the doc when they tube someone and do whatever the hell they tell me to do, I'll ventilate people with a BVM, put foley catheters up in them urethras, amongst other things. It cemented my interest in hospital medicine, and every day I learned something new. The real benefit of that job was being exposed to how hospital medicine actually works. ), and they get us within striking distance of the AVERAGE STARTING BASE WEIGHT (total weight not including consumables such as food, water, and poop paper) of this year's thru-hikers: 18.12 lbs / 8.219 kg. When you’re clocked in as a tech, you only do your tech duties. I got in with my EMT and experience, though the hospital I worked in hired techs with ~6months of experience, to the best of my knowledge I haven't heard of and EDs taking techs without experience, though what counts varies. Due to these reasons the salary of a PCT is also high as compared to the average CNA salary which ranges from $28,000 to $32,000. The difference between those two, I think, will mainly come down to the job market rather than the clinical experience. I work nights at a Level 1 Trauma Center in a downtown metropolitan area. Although the downside is my relationship with the patients has suffered because of the short length of time I'm with them. I know other patient care technicians who are also emt’s, but they do NOT perform the same duties as an emt when they work here. Patient care technicians (PCTs) and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) both play vital roles in the nursing field. You’ll find that while some of these direct patient care duties may overlap, medical assistants often take on administrative work as well. Identification. So I was wondering what would be a good way to get the experience necessary to get the job as a Tech? This estimate is based upon 1 Saline Memorial Hospital PCT/CNA salary report(s) provided by employees or estimated based upon statistical methods. This is a subreddit for all pre-physician assistant students seeking help with their applications. I learned teamwork in an uncontrolled environment, how to properly transfer care. Hey how do you like the telemetry unit? I have built close relationships with my patients and their family over time, I shared my life events with them. I learned to look at an EKG and know when to be worried (also learned what the lines actually mean in terms of cardiac conductivity, but that came later). By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Where to find real Nolvadex for sale that can be used as a PCT. You provide personal care directly to patients, but not medical care. As an ED tech? I am a patient care technician with just a cna, not an emt or a paramedic. Solid question, I'd like to know others' opinions myself. However, although they both refer to professionals in the medical field, each role has a unique set of responsibilities that sets it apart from one another. Let me give you a hypothetical example of what the job is like when I work in an acute zone: Patient came in personal vehicle complaining of chest pain. Because I worked with the same nurses every shift, they took a strong interest in teaching me. Filter by location to see PCT/CNA salaries in your area. A CNA must complete a medical certification program after high school. Medical assistant vs. patient care technician: Job duties The clearest way to draw a distinction between these roles is to focus on their overall job duties. Thank you! My hospital allows ED techs to do more than most hospitals allow their techs to do, and more than most floor techs. Certified nursing assistants are supervised by doctors or registered nurses and provide basic patient care like checking vital signs, bathing, and feeding patients. I've been working as a patient care assistant (CNA) on a telemetry unit for the past nine months, and I'm applying to ED tech positions now that I have my EMT certification. I'm assuming I'll get to see a wider variety of patient types, and get to work more closely with advanced practice clinicians (PAs, NPs, MDs) but I'm not 100% sure the change of environment/position is just going to be a lateral move experience-wise. Both carry out their duties in similar work settings; however, their tasks may differ slightly. The requirements for becoming a CNA vary from state to state. PCT/CNA salaries at Saline Memorial Hospital can range from $10-$11. The difference between a certified nursing assistant (CNA) and a patient care technician (PCT) is the extent of their job duties. When a hospital advertises for PCT's they are usually looking for CNA's with experience. Ambo time helped me shape a good "gut" instinct about things, as an EMT basic. Please read our FAQs before submitting questions. 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