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Patient Care Technicians are compassionate individuals who help provide basic care to patients in a healthcare setting. They help with feeding, bathing, dressing, and moving and are also trained to help with some clinical tasks like collecting specimens for testing, performing ECG testing, and operating inhalers, ventilators, and oxygen tanks.
If you have been looking for a good stepping stone to begin your career in the medical field, becoming a patient care technician is an excellent option. Patient care technicians learn medical terms, patient care techniques, and how to assist doctors and nurses. The best part is patient care technicians can begin their career quickly with training that takes less than a year.
Are you interested in becoming a Patient Care Technician? Consider enrolling in Florida Career College's Patient Care Technician Program. The program is short-term, allowing you to begin a new career in the healthcare field in less than a year.
How Long Does Patient Care Technician School Take To Complete?
Training to become a patient care technician can be completed in as few as 10 months. The exact length of time will vary from one school to the next and may depend on the hands-on opportunities it provides.
Training to become a patient care technician through Florida Career College takes about 34 weeks or 720 training hours. This time is spent partially online, completing assignments and participating in live lectures, and partially in person, taking part in hands-on lab experiences to put skills into practice. The Patient Care Technician program at Florida Career College also includes an 80-hour externship working as a patient care technician in the community. This provides valuable experience for students and also introduces them to possible employers in their area.
What Do You Learn From a Patient Care Tech Program?
A good patient care technician training program teaches students all the basic skills and tools they will need to prepare for an entry-level position as a patient care technician. They will learn all the basics of geriatric and nursing assistance. This includes how to take patient vitals, how to administer first aid, how to assist with patient exams, how to perform electrocardiograms, how to assist with occupational therapy, and how to care for a patient’s basic needs. Students will learn medical terms, compassionate patient care techniques, and also the clinical skills needed to do the job.
The patient care technician program at Florida Career College teaches students how to:
- Check for a patient’s physical comfort and safety
- Control infections
- Provide biological and psychological support to patients
- Communicate professionally with other members of a patient’s care team, including tracking a patient’s condition and bringing up concerns
- Perform CPR in an emergency
- Operate respiratory equipment such as inhalers, resuscitators, mechanical ventilators, and oxygen tanks
- Follow a treatment plan from an occupational therapist
- Recognize common diseases in long-term healthcare settings
- Understand medical terminology and medical ethics
- Mount and perform electrocardiography testing
- Collect blood, urine, or fecal samples for lab testing
- Work in a variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes
All of these skills may be used on a daily basis by a patient care technician, and each is practiced in person with other students and experienced instructors.
Where Can You Work as a Patient Care Technician?
Patient care technicians work in various healthcare settings, providing valuable assistance to nurses and doctors as they care for patients. Patient care technicians work in assisted living facilities, nursing homes, long-term care centers, and hospitals. Patient care technicians may also travel to a patient’s home to provide home health care or assist with respiratory therapy.
Very rarely are patient care technicians hired by doctor’s offices or clinics. In these settings, patients may come and go quickly. Still, patient care technicians have more consistent, steady interaction with their patients that allows them to become familiar with a patient’s needs and notice any changes to their health.
In each setting, patient care technicians work very closely with patients to assist with moving, feeding, dressing, and grooming. Patient care technicians also monitor a patient’s comfort and safety and report back to the supervising nurse or physician any changes in a patient’s condition.
How Can You Become a Patient Care Technician?
The best way to become a patient care technician is by attending an accredited training program. This training is quick and affordable and will put you on a path to a career you can be proud of. For a step to step guide to becoming a patient care technician, read the How To Become a Patient Care Technician Guide.
Become a Patient Care Technician With Florida Career College
If you are serious about beginning your career in the medical field, Florida Career College is a great place to start. Our hands-on programs will give you the knowledge and skills you need to prepare for an entry-level position as a patient care technician.
Ongoing enrollment and flexible class schedules allow you to get started in this field in as few as ten months. Give us a call today to take a tour of the campus nearest you!
Enrolling in FCC's Patient Care Technician Program today!
