PCT or MA? I'm new to the Allied Health Field, help!

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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I'm currently finishing up my CNA course, and once I'm done I will automatically be a PCT. I'm also a certified MA, and I will be getting my Associates degree this Spring.

Here is the thing, I'm not too crazy about being a CNA to tell you honestly, even though I will have an advanced title as PCT. Thing is, do I really have to do all the duties as a CNA? Will they hire me mainly to do Phlebotomy or EKG at a hospital? Or, should I just keep my title as MA with an Associates degree?

One last question; I will be taking Pharmacy Tech classes next month, will my title still be PCT or something else?

I know at my hospital all of these jobs are different. We have EKG techs, phlebotomists, and PCT's. I guess you would need to decide which one you want because they don't overlap. At least not at my hospital. PCT will be the closest thing to CNA. Phlebotomists and EKG techs just float around to where they are needed. It depends on how involved you want to be in patient care. For example, the phlebotomists get a list of blood they need to draw out in the hospital, go out and collect their blood, and return to the lab. Versus a PCT that has a 10-12 (or sometimes more) patient load all day that they are caring for.

Once you have finished your pharmacy tech, then you will be called a pharmacy tech :)

You are focusing too much on job titles. Call it a PCT, PCA, CNA, or a banana, its pretty much the same thing. A PCT is basically just a CNA taught to do blood draws and 12 leads in most cases. The additional training is usually done in a couple quick classes and on the job, its not like you have to be a certified phlebotomist or know how to interpret ECGs.

If you dont want to do CNA type of work, then stay an MA, if you want to work as a "PCT", then you're basically going to be a CNA, regardless of what title is on your name tag. At least thats been my experience as a PCT and what I've seen doing patient transfers as an EMT.

CphT (pharmacy tech) pay is awful. I am a nationally certified pharm tech with 2 years experience and started at $8.50 an hour. The pay stinks I was maxed out at $10.50 an hour). I am hoping to get into the PCT program, the pay is better and you do more than talk to crappy insurance agents all day and count pills.

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