Can any Patient Care Techs tell me how much your training cost?

Can you be a little more clear on what duties this person would preform after dumping that much cabbage on a training program. There are paramedic programs that cost around the same but you have much more in the way of personnel marketing power as a paramedic. Please be very careful, there are programs that will gladly take your money but leave you with very few opportunities for employment. I work as pediatric ER tech, in some regions of the country the position is also known as a patient care technician. Let me know what the PCT position entails and I will try and give you some advice for your friend.

Most hospitals will teach ER techs EKG's during orientation to the department, this is only training to preform the test it does not give you the training to interpret the results. Phlebotomy is usually offered as a hospital based class, it is however becoming more common that states are requiring advanced level certification for phlebotomy. Is your friend interested in the emergency environment or leaning towards LTC or general CNA, also what area of the country is your friend looking for this training. I still don't like the sound of this "tech training" class at least not for 9K.

$9000 is more than I spent on my RN.

That being said, my PCT training was free. No, wait. That's not entirely true. I was paid while completing the training. I was trained at the hopsital, paid while I did it, and had my choice of floors on which to work.

Miwila

I agree with the other posters, and you are right, PCT is basically a CNA with additional training in EKG and Phlebotomy. Since your friend is already interested in becoming a CNA, it would be a wiser choice to do that, work for 1 year and then apply for a PCT position @ a hospital.

They're some programs that collaborate with the hospitals they do they're clinicals in and so that program may very well indeed be able to boast a high percentage of placements. Yes, some hospitals will only work with certain schools, however it's still a risk and @ $9000.........I don't know.

There's also the possibility that while your friend is doing her clinicals in the hospital, she can network and if she's able to impress them she can be offered a position.

I myself got hired on in the hospital that I did my externship @ for a CCMA. After 6 mos, I saw a posting for a PCT position and applied. They interviewed me, and was a little hesitant because they typically like to hire CNA because of the bedside care but my position was close enough. They trained me (paid training because I was already an employee), tested me and oriented me to the floor. It was a pretty thorough process and I have to say that I love it, but I didn't pay for it. It was the other way around.

I wish your friend well and sucess in whatever path she chooses.

I recieved my pct training at a hospital for free. all nursing assistants wether you were certified as a cna or not, had to go through the hospitals training program if you wanted to work there. i was hired as a cna and went through the training about two months later. i learned how to insert foleys, accu checks, tube feedings, blood drawing, ekg's, sterile dressing changes, even some respiratory therapy skills. i transferred into the CCU's where i got additional training and all this was free.

alot has changed since then which was about 15yrs. ago when i did it. now techs aren't doing venipuntures and inserting foleys, sterile dressing changes and ekg's, accu checks too much anymore, at least where i live in missouri. i would advise your friend not to pay that much money for pct training it's just not worth it. if she were to go and just apply at a hospital hopefully she'll get hired and go through the training for free.

My PCT program costs $990. It includes the EKG, Phlebotomy, and PCT Certifications; plus, the National exams.