patient care tech

I was a PCT for 10 years. ADLs was still the main job of a PCT.

In my hospital, in addition to ADLs, I interpreted EKGs, did phlebotomy, bleeding times, finger sticks, foleys, sterile dressing changes, vital signs, ambulation, basic PT/OT, and acted as a ward clerk to boot. When I had time, the nurses taught me about ABGs and vents, swans and central lines, and of course, working in an ICU I saw plenty of codes.

Was it good experience for NS? Absolutely!

Also, my hospital had tuition reimbursement, so I got nursing school for free. Can't beat that!

I made about $14/hr doing it.

I was a PCT for 10 years. ADLs was still the main job of a PCT.

In my hospital, in addition to ADLs, I interpreted EKGs, did phlebotomy, bleeding times, finger sticks, foleys, sterile dressing changes, vital signs, ambulation, basic PT/OT, and acted as a ward clerk to boot. When I had time, the nurses taught me about ABGs and vents, swans and central lines, and of course, working in an ICU I saw plenty of codes.

Was it good experience for NS? Absolutely!

Also, my hospital had tuition reimbursement, so I got nursing school for free. Can't beat that!

I made about $14/hr doing it.

Wow, that's great!!

I would totally recommend doing that, as I wished I woulda done it.

I can just imagine it would have made the transition into the role of a new nurse a bit smoother.

I've worked as a PCT in a hospital for a couple of months. I didn't go to a special PCT program anywhere, I just got hired into this position as a CNA. They gave on the job training regarding foley's, 12-lead EKG (no interpretation, that's a special class, and only the 4 lead interpretation), blood glucose monitoring, and of course everything you would do as a CNA.

My day existed of taking care of eight patients, checking their blood glucose three times a day, bathing them, walking them, taking vital signs q 4 hours.

I don't work a PCT anymore, I now work as a monitor tech and follow the heart monitors. Very interesting as well. :)

Good luck!

I thought about maybe applying for a monitor tech position as well but I was afraid I would get bored with it. You sound like you like it though so could you tell me some more about what you do all day. For some reason I pictured sitting around staring at monitors all day but that cant be all there is to it. So please tell me more. That may be another option for me. I am a little nervous even applying at a hospital since I have spent the last 3 years in LTC. Not sure what I am getting myself into ya know. Anyway thanks to everyone.

I am a little nervous even applying at a hospital since I have spent the last 3 years in LTC. Not sure what I am getting myself into ya know. Anyway thanks to everyone.

Wouldn't you rather have your first time placing a foley (or other assorted skill) be as a tech instead during nursing school in front of your clinical instructor?

As a tech I also had to do monitor tech as part of my job. You're right in that's it's pretty boring (and I worked in a Cardiac ICU with lots of unstable rhythms). Also, I got a headache from just sitting in one place for 12 hours straight. It's a pain.

Well at the hospital I work at right now I am both the secretary and the monitor tech. It's far from boring! When it comes to the monitors I print out and interpret a 9 second strip for every patient at 0700. I also read the doctor's order and enter them into the computer system. I copy chart for patients that are being transferred to LTC/SNF, I answer the phone, keep the whiteboard updated, etc. It's a very interesting job to learn about diagnostic testing, medications, and EKG's.

I did just accept a job elsewhere, where I'll be monitor tech only. Honestly, doing both secretary and monitor tech is too much, there is no way you can attentively observe the rhythms while entering all these order, putting chart together, answering the phones, etc.

At the new job as monitor tech I'll have to record the rhythms every hour, makes a lot more sense considering these patients/insurance companies actually pay about $500 more a day for the heart monitor. I'm also allowed the bring my school books to work and read in between.

Hope this helps, let me know if you have any more questions. :)

Thanks to everyone. I am in the middle of a stack of paperwork to get my license transfered by endorsment and I cant wait to go back to work. Hoping for an ER tech job but if that doesnt happen its okay I can always take a job as a cna and apply within when a position becomes available. I really love being a CNA its just very limited. But I get to spend more time with the patients than anyone and for me, that is the best part. Ill keep the board posted.