pct debate

[lpnga]

Has anyone heard of PCT *patient care technicians* ?

PCT 1 is a CNA

PCT 2 can do blood sugars, catheters, etc

PCT 3 can start iv's etc

I live near Chattanooga and I work as a PCT..in another thread this was a debate with everyone saying that I was lying and this was not the case. Asking why have LPN's..I understand this but we get paid less then LPN's and go to school a shorter amount of time but we are there *that's the point* Everyone may not agree with the fact that we can do so much but we have been trained to do this. Also if your trained you can pass out meds..I just want to know what everyone thinks and do you have pct's where you work.

[lpnga]

yes some aides don't know as much about meds as needed..even me..I only pass to those pts I know the meds they are given and the side effects.....that is my big concern I hate to take meds..I wont even take advil for a headache...i would like to be offered a longer class on it

[Vsummer1]

Originally posted by lpnga

yes some aides don't know as much about meds as needed..even me..I only pass to those pts I know the meds they are given and the side effects.....that is my big concern I hate to take meds..I wont even take advil for a headache...i would like to be offered a longer class on it

Holy crap! If aspirin had to go through the FDA as meds do now, you wouldn't be serving aspirin to anyone d/t contraindications and side effects. You say Advil as if it was a class of meds or something: think NSAID or specifically, ibuprofen. Do you KNOW the pharmacokinetics of it???

You SCARE me.

[lpnga]

i just said I hate to take meds.........i only give meds to certain pts that i know their meds and side affects

[Vsummer1]

Originally posted by lpnga

i just said I hate to take meds.........i only give meds to certain pts that i know their meds and side affects

I repeat:

Do you KNOW the pharmacokinetics of it???

[lpnga]

2-4 hours for half of dosage to leave body and it is metabolized by the liver.....

[Brownms46]

I found some links here, and felt they might be helpful:

This is from the Dept of Health in Washington state, as pertains to N. A., and delegation:

http://www.leg.wa.gov/wac/index.cfm?fuseaction=Section&Section=246-841-405

http://www.leg.wa.gov/wac/index.cfm?fuseaction=section&section=246-840-910

http://www.leg.wa.gov/wac/index.cfm?fuseaction=Section&Section=246-840-930

http://www.leg.wa.gov/wac/index.cfm?fuseaction=section&section=246-840-900

The following is from Mass:

http://www.state.ma.us/reg/boards/rn/cmr/24403.htm#3.05

From what I'm reading, if you delegate a task to an unlicensed person, you are held responsible for what that person did.

[SandyB]

I worked as an N.A. in southern Calif and saw N.A.'s who were trained passing meds in ALF's....this was a few years ago but I doubt if anything has changed...I can't imagine a hospital having trained PCT's to do IV starts but....guess it could happen....

[Vsummer1]

Originally posted by lpnga

2-4 hours for half of dosage to leave body and it is metabolized by the liver.....

that is a great start! and........ think physiology...

[Vsummer1]

Okay, so you know how long the half life is. Can you tell me what systems it involves? Think about your ABC's. What other meds could have an effect on that? The excretion, the metabolism... start with those hints and tell me about pharmacokinetics -- you know, possible drug interactions, and the s/s of its effect, both therapeutic and contraindicated. What should you look for?

[tiger]

:)

[sbic56, BSN, RN]

Originally posted by Vsummer1

I repeat:

Do you KNOW the pharmacokinetics of it???

I dare anyone to say they know the pharmacokinetics of every drug they give...

[tiger]

val--why the need to be so nasty? can't this be a friendly debate. it was before you showed up. and no, i haven't participated. only observed. it seems you are just looking to put someone else down instead of talk about things.