Online program

Nursing Students Technicians

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Questions- What do guys think of an online patient care tech program? I'm a cna and i will be applying to my nursing program in a few months so I do have a year until I would start nursing school so I was thinking of doing this program in the mean while. I know that 2nd semester students can apply to PCT hospital jobs. But my concern is working while in nursing school and I feel like if I had a job that paid more than cna I could work less hours and do school. All the people I know that worked through nursing school had flexible jobs and didn't work shift schedules 7am-3 3-11 etc. Esp that my clinical would be shifts I'm worried about being a cna. Has anyone heard of US institute my friend is going there for medical billing she just started. And tuition is $688.00 if you pay in full. The program is self paced, accredited and I would finish in 4 months. Thoughts??

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I don't see how a PCT course could only online. Everything we did was hands on clinical, from phlebotomy to feeding tubes to catheters. You can't learn this stuff online. The course I went to was three days a week for seven hours a day, not including book work and lab practice time. I also majored in billing and coding and took the cpc-h exam, that can be done online, but I went to class for the health information tech degree.

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I would be leery of an entirely online program simply because nearly all of the tasks a CNA would preform are very hands on. You can't learn how to take an accurate manual blood pressure or accucheck simply by watching a video.

If it was online lectures combined with clinical hours, then I would say go for it. But strictly online, I'm afraid you would feel lost and overwhelmed trying to learn these hands on tasks on the job.

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Yeah I need to call them for details. It is entirely online in the description they have a "virtual clinical lab". Does anyone know if you have a state board test for pct like cna?

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Specializes in ICU.

You would be able to sit for a state certification. Do not attend any program where you cannot sit for the exam!! That is a total waste of money. You could send me the money if you are giving it away. Lol. That's about how useful that program would be. Some programs you can sit for the CNA exam after the first semester. I would check with your school and I would call and inquire about the job.

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You are already a CNA so you know the basics, the additional things you'd do as a tech are things which are best learned by hands on training/experience, so I don't see much benefit to an online PCT class considering you can just watch youtube videos, google stuff, or read a med/surg nursing textbook to get the same info you'd get from an online class, and you still wouldn't get any hands on experience either way.

The only benefit I can see would be if it makes you more employable at a hospital, and I doubt most hospitals are going to care about or put much stock in an online PCT class. It wouldn't hurt you, but your money and time might be better served on something else.

As for a PCT job being more flexible or having better hours than a CNA job, I don't know that's the case really. Hospitals usually work 12 hour shifts and youd have a far greater chance of getting a night shift position than a day one, which might not be the greatest for school.

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