Am I able to work with just my diploma of completion?

[CarlyBelle]

Hello everyone!

Update:::

I passed my written test, and my diploma of completion is ready and will be handed to me on Monday. I am making room in my time to go back to school for the skills practice class that helps us to get ready for the state board exam. To be honest... I do not have the money to pay for the state board at this time. It's $150, in case I haven't mentioned it I'm 21, unemployed, live with my parents. I was going to college for nursing but due to loans and my insecurity on whether it's what I truly wanted I stopped going.

I decided to go for the PCT program so that I can get my foot in the door and serve me in the meantime.

I know that my parents will be willing to pay it for me, but 1.I would like to practice the skills class very well before taking the test rather than to pay for it and fail, and 2. I do feel very uncomfortable with my parents paying this for me after they helped me out with paying for the program.

Do you think it's possible to find a job with just a diploma from school? At least in the meantime until I'm ready to take the state board?

I live in New York City (in case that influences).

[CPCTColeman]

I am a CPCT as well. I finished last december and just recently (acually yesterday) finally received my certification. I have yet to get my diploma. From the job hunting process down here in Louisiana and from what my fellow class mates have said when ever they have gone on a interview for a job, the jobs have alwasys wanted their certification number but our teacher said until we did finally get our number she would write a referal for us because we all had passed the certification exam and she had our results, plus we had finished all the course work. However, I know Davita would hirer PCT's with out their certification as long as they would be getting it withing 18 months once they have started. If they did not have by the time the 18 months have ended then they would have to let them go. You can go on thier website and read up on it.

[CarlyBelle]

Congratulations on your certification! & Thank you for the advice! I have been sending applications, I have a feeling that I'll most likely have more luck finding a CNA job rather than a PCT sooner with only my diploma, at least I have heard that of similar cases.

If you don't mind me asking how was the certification exam for PCT? Aside from the CNA skills part of the test, do you have to demonstrate skills on phlebotomy as well?

[CPCTColeman]

Thank you :). The certification exam was so easy and I only say that because I bought the review book. My class mates and my self ordered our review books like 2 months early and started reviewing soon as they came in. So if we had a question and didnt understand the answer we could ask our teacher since we were just in clinicals at thattime and was done with our class work. If your program out there by you has a book get it. When we took the exam it was exactly like the book and the pratice test except for a few questions that were not on neither but were pretty much common since if you knew the other answers. We didn't have to demonstrate skills on our test we did that in class and in our clinical but on the test you did have to have some phlebotomy knowledge like the order or draw and what is in some of the tubes and things like that. If you know any one else that have taken the PCT class out there or ask your teacher about if there is a review book for your exam and if so definitly get it.