Do you enjoy being a PCA?

LMAO! Where or where did you get that figure?!? CNA/PCT's don't make that much...but that made me laugh. But on to answer your question: I loved being a PCT. I love patient care. I have since accepted another position (a small step up) and I greatly miss being on the floor working with the patients. Yes, its stressful and tiring and thankless (and yes you will be understaffed), but it is what you make of it. If you go into it with a positive attitude and because you enjoy working with people who absolutely need your assistance everyday, then you will be fine. Sometimes you will have a whole floor by yourself, sometimes you will have five different nurses coming at you for help all at once, sometimes you will have to deal with gross and smelly things....that's part of the job *shrug* And it's not for everyone. I am super excited to be starting nursing school in January and getting back to patient care! Good Luck with whatever you decide.

I knew before being laid off guess due to being a union; PCAs averaged $16-$26 an hour...our hospital didn't hire CNAs though. I do appreciate the advice and you seem to have enjoyed the job...best of luck with Nursing School.

Here CNA/PCT's start out at $8-$9 an hour...so consider yourself lucky that you live in an area that pays more. But despite the pay, if it's something you are interested in then go for it. Don't focus on the negative things you may hear.

I love being a PCA.. but $40,000 a year? Not at all likely. PCAs where I work generally start at a little over $11 per hour (about $13/hour for per diem). It's a wonderful and rewarding job, but by no means an easy one! You will work hard, and you will be putting many miles a day on your shoes! :) I'm in the first semester of my nursing program and I've found that that working as a PCA has given me a comfort level in a patient care setting that most members of my cohort do not have.

I recently was hired as a Patient Care Tech on a med/surg floor at a top hospital in my region. I didn't start yet but I have 7 years experience as a CNA. They will train me to do the other skills that are required of a PCT, such as EKG's, drawing blood etc...My hourly rate is 21.97 an hour.I think it depends on where you live and the facility you are working in. I live in Philadelphia,Pa. The techs that have worked there for years make on average $26 an hour.

The techs that have worked there for years make on average $26 an hour.

I am curious what the average RN makes in comparison to that, if you'd be willing to share?

Sure. I can only tell you evening and night shift rates however because this is all that I know. Less than 2 years experience 41.xx and more than 2 years 48.xx . They pay well and also have great benefits. Again, this is based on my locale. I live in Philadelphia. I'm sure it is different everywhere.

My hourly rate is 21.97 an hour.I think it depends on where you live and the facility you are working in. I live in Philadelphia,Pa. The techs that have worked there for years make on average $26 an hour.

Holy moly, in Maryland techs get $12-16/hr at a hospital, $10-12/hr at a nursing home or in home care. Perhaps it's time to move north!!

It's all about the cost of living in any certain area.

As far as pay for a CNA/PCA, I'd say it's something like; barely enough to survive off of and in most cases, if you are supporting others besides yourself, it's not enough.

I've never heard of a Tech/CNA making $12 an hour where I live working in the hospital. The lowest I know of is $16. The nursing homes are a different story. I worked at a place that paid $13 starting and at another place that paid $15 for pool but $10.30 starting. So, yes, location matters but so does facility.

I live in Vegas and I made 12 in home care peds, 12 in a nursing home and 12 plus three dollar differential for weekend nightshift.

I've done worse jobs and I've done jobs that were a lot easier and less stressful. At least when I go to work there is the illusion of possibly doing something positive or making a difference, although in reality most of what I do as a tech is menial backbreaking dirty work that frees up the RNs to do things that really matter.

I liked working in EMS better but the pay and benefits were horrible and the stress was a lot greater. It wasn't the constant low grade stress of being a tech, but it was periods of extreme stress punctuated by hours of monotomy, along with the inherent Monday morning quarterbacking that goes with EMS. Then there was being periodically assaulted or threatened on the job and the constant wear and tear on your body. Working as a tech is easier generally, although dealing with snotty arrogant RNs gets old. Most aren't like that but you will always have some that are, and as a tech you basically just have to put up with it.

As for pay, we are probably underpaid in comparison to RNs, at least those of us who have a fair amount of training and experience. I guess if you are some kid out of high school with nothing more than some Nursing pre reqs or a semester of nursing school under your belt its good pay, and unfortunately that makes up a large portion of hospital techs.

As for pay, around here it can vary between 12 and 20 an hour with 14 probably being the average.