[carilyn]

There is an ad in my local paper for PCT positions outpatient clinic. My question is: I am a Certified Medical Assistant entering an ADN program in Aug. very interested in this field. Would they hire someone who wouldn't be available for regular hours. I only have one day off of school during the week. My schedule for fall semester is pretty crappy because the school made it for me. I will have a better schedule for the winter semester. Do they have to work full time

[DeLana_RN]

Hi,

being an MA would definitely qualify you for a position as a dialysis PCT (and you would be more prepared for the job than many); and no, you don't always have to work full time. Plus, it would be an excellent foundation for a job as a dialysis nurse.

However, there is only one problem: the training for this position is very intense, and I don't think it can be done on less than a full time basis (sometimes, it also involves classes out of town, which can last a week or two). Typically, PCTs orient/train for at least 6-8 weeks and after that there is still much to learn on the job; they are not considered to be proficient for at least 6 months (more often, a year).

I'm not trying to discourage you, and certainly recommend that you apply for the position. You never know, they might be able to work with you (out of town classes may not be required, for a while my company had replaced them with self-study and computer work). Even if they cannot hire you at this time (and perhaps they can, maybe in another type of position to get your foot in the door), you could let them know that you're interested when you're finished with school.

Best of luck to you,

DeLana

[Natkat]

The training for a PCT is 4-6 weeks, 5 days a week. Then there is a long learning curve that you just can't navigate one day a week. You'll never be able to catch on enough to be able to do the job. It doesn't have anything to do with brains, work ethic or experience in other fields. The work is very specialized and it takes a good 6 months to a year to get the hang of it - and that is expected. My boss even says "If you catch on faster than that, I don't need you. You are obviously doing something wrong or taking some dangerous shortcuts and a patient is going to get hurt."

Short answer - probably not. It's a great field to break into and very rewarding work, but it takes a lot of time to learn in the beginning. If you can find it in your schedule to stick to the training schedule it would be great. I worked for a whole year before dropping down to twice a week, and it was like starting all over again every week that I came back. It was very frustrating for me - and my coworkers. I know they were tired of having to explain stuff to me over and over, and dealing with the fact that I was slower because I wasn't in a routine. They were nice about it but I felt the tension.