$2,600 too much money for PCT course?

[nifty_n]

Hi everyone. I'm interested in taking a PCT course this summer. I live in NYC and there are a lot of shady places that offer CNA and PCT courses and lots of them have terrible reviews on Yelp. There is a course offered through one of the colleges (CUNY) but it's really pricey for me. It would either cost $2000 to pay up front in total or $2,600 with a payment plan. Do you think either of these options is too much money for a PCT course? It includes CNA, phlebotomy, EKG, CPR for allied health and "job search strategies." I would have settled for just a CNA course but one of the possible future employers that I'm looking at requires a certified PCT course as well as an NHA certificate.

[futurebsnmidwife]

I'm sure its cheaper places i paid max 550 for my CNA certification (but I'm in GA), but most hospitals (if thats where you would like to work) train you at the hospital. thats pretty steep to me.

[happyspn, LPN]

Um hell yes thats too much for a PCT course. But do what's best for you. I paid a little over $600 for my CNA course 10yrs ago, and go over $500 of it reimbursed.

[lindseylpn]

The PCT course at the community college near me is $699.

[mindofmidwifery, ADN]

My CNA was free through a nursing home and my PCT training was free through the hospital I work at now.

[funtimes]

Sounds pricey to me.

The thing is, hospitals are all over the map when it comes to what they prefer when they hire "assistive" personnel. Some require they all be CNAs, some require they be CNAs AND have additional training, some prefer nursing students, some take medical assistants, some seem to have no real preference or requirements and just go by your overall resume(or your connections), and for some its a mixture of all of the above. You might have one hospital with different units having different job requirements for the same position. Its crazy.

Pretty much the ONE thing that will get you considered by nearly every hospital is to be a Nursing student. Despite the fact Nursing students tend to be the worst PCTs starting out because they tend to the only ones hired with no experience and have only the most minimal training in PCT/CNA skills. Hospitals do this so they can vet future RNs, because they figure a Nursing student isn't likely to be a complete idiot(although this still occasionally turns out to be the case), and because Nurses themselves simply relate more to Nursing students than they do CNAs or MAs or trained PCTs etc. EVERY nurse was a nursing student at one time, so they have a soft spot for nursing students, even though they might not be as polished or competent as an experienced CNA/PCT.

If you plan on working in an area, find out what the local hospital/s requirements are. I can almost guarantee none of them REQUIRE a formal "PCT" school or even list that as a desired qualification.

[BeachsideRN, ASN]

Holy crap. That's as much as 1 semester at my nursing school

[Jayjormom]

Yes it is. That's what I paid per semester for my ASN