Patient Care Tech I

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hello all, I am going to school to be a RN. But I am still in my basics, so for the time being I would like to get my cna just so I can start doing something while I finish up my school. But I have been seeing a lot of patient care tech positions. What is the diffrence in a CNA and a Patient care tech.

I know at one of the hospitals here it has a lot of patient care tech positions that say all u need is cna. Well it reads like this below.

Certification / Licensure: Certified Nurse Assistant - FL

Required Expertise: Patient Care Tech/CAN

What does the /CAN mean???? And I mean does that mean all you need is you CNA or what? I am confused on these job postings. If anyone can help I would appreciate it.

Thanks

Jenn

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

A Patient Care Tech is a CNA with extra teaching. In our hospital, PCTs can start or D/C Foley caths, D/C IV sites, give enemas, get Capillary Blood Glucose via fingerstick, and prep for surgery among other things.

The PCTs on our unit are also cross-trained to be Unit Secretary or Monitor Techs as well.

We love having them. They're EXCELLENT! And many times they'll finish their nursing program and stay right with us for GN training. :) Makes it feel like family.

PS I think that the "CAN" thing was a typo. It's probably "CNA."

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"A Patient Care Tech is a CNA with extra teaching. In our hospital, PCTs can start or D/C Foley caths, D/C IV sites, give enemas, get Capillary Blood Glucose via fingerstick, and prep for surgery among other things"

I am a pre nursring student in the Orlando area and I will be attending VCC in the summer full-time to start my classes. I was told my many of my nursing friends to do CNA program so that I can work and go to school. My problem is how do I get the training listed above? The CNA classes I am doing that is about to end does not train us on these procedures...will the hospital train me? Will i have to pay more money to get trained? I am really worried because Florida Hosp. and ORMC are the hospitals i want to work for and they want PCT or Clinical Tech...I am only a CNA:o Please help!

K -pre-nursing student

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Where I live, you don't have to be a CNA to be a patient care tech. Actually both positions mean the same thing. Each hospital has their own "version" of the nurse's aide title. I have heard:

1. CNA (this of course is the licensed version)

2. Patient Care Tech

3. Care Partner

4. Student Nurse Worker

So from what I understand they all mean the same, with the exception of the CNA requiring a license to call yourself a "CNA".

As a nursing student, if you have 1 semester of med-surg schooling behind you, you are eligible for many of these positions.

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Do you have a vocational school by you? many times they have the CNA and PCT training. Usually while you do have to pay to get the training, it is usually affordable being a county school.

Kris

"A Patient Care Tech is a CNA with extra teaching. In our hospital, PCTs can start or D/C Foley caths, D/C IV sites, give enemas, get Capillary Blood Glucose via fingerstick, and prep for surgery among other things"

I am a pre nursring student in the Orlando area and I will be attending VCC in the summer full-time to start my classes. I was told my many of my nursing friends to do CNA program so that I can work and go to school. My problem is how do I get the training listed above? The CNA classes I am doing that is about to end does not train us on these procedures...will the hospital train me? Will i have to pay more money to get trained? I am really worried because Florida Hosp. and ORMC are the hospitals i want to work for and they want PCT or Clinical Tech...I am only a CNA:o Please help!

K -pre-nursing student

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Thanks for the reply:) ... what really conderned me was the "A Patient Care Tech is a CNA with extra teaching" the extra teaching is part that really got me confused. The CNA program I am in teaches us basic patient care... I was just wondering if a hospital would hire me without the extra training "PCTs can start or D/C Foley caths, D/C IV sites..etc" I also looked into the vocational school by me but unfortunately the class hours conflicted with my work hours. I guess the hopitals call CNA different names but in the end they all perform the same basic patient care.

Thx again

K per-nursing student and soon to be CNA:rolleyes:

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Our hospital trains the CNAs to be PCTs. So it might help to call the HR department of the hospital you choose to work and ask them what their requirements are and if they provide in-house training or if not, whose courses they recommend. I would first put in an online job application, then follow up with a call to the HR department.

Also, you might want to just get your foot in the door doing anything--transporter, for instance--because a lot of these places prefer to hire from within. You would have more of an advantage if you worked there.

I couldn't find ORMC's link for PCT's. Maybe someone else can help, or you should call the HR department and find out what jobs for nursing entry level are available.

Florida Hospital's FAQ link:

http://www.flhosp.org/employment/faqs.htm

Good luck! I'm sure you'll find your answer this way.

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hello all, I am going to school to be a RN. But I am still in my basics, so for the time being I would like to get my cna just so I can start doing something while I finish up my school. But I have been seeing a lot of patient care tech positions. What is the diffrence in a CNA and a Patient care tech.

I know at one of the hospitals here it has a lot of patient care tech positions that say all u need is cna. Well it reads like this below.

Certification / Licensure: Certified Nurse Assistant - FL

Required Expertise: Patient Care Tech/CAN

What does the /CAN mean???? And I mean does that mean all you need is you CNA or what? I am confused on these job postings. If anyone can help I would appreciate it.

Thanks

Jenn

Our Patient Care techs are our regular CNA's but they were trained to scrub for our C/sections. At my facility, our techs are called OB Techs, because of this additional training.

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Hey all,

Just wanted to thank you guys again for the valueable info and to also let you know that today was my 1st day at Clinicals. It was at Fl Hosp. and it was great...and I found out that they do train their PCT's to start or D/C Foley caths, D/C IV sites, give enemas, get Capillary Blood Glucose via fingerstick etc so that was a big relief for me... and the unit I was on it hiring so that was also encouraging.

thx

K ...one step at a time

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Hey all,

Just wanted to thank you guys again for the valueable info and to also let you know that today was my 1st day at Clinicals. It was at Fl Hosp. and it was great...and I found out that they do train their PCT's to start or D/C Foley caths, D/C IV sites, give enemas, get Capillary Blood Glucose via fingerstick etc so that was a big relief for me... and the unit I was on it hiring so that was also encouraging.

thx

K ...one step at a time

Which Florida Hospital branch? There are several. I have an ex-colleague who works at Florida Hospital Deland.

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Fl Hosp. Altamonte Springs location...very close to home:)

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