PCTs - How many patients?

Nursing Students Technicians

Published

I am in nursing school and working as a patient care tech on a busy, heavy medical floor. I was wondering how many patients other techs have while working. There are 20 beds on my floor and during day/evening shifts we have 2 techs (or 10 patients each.) Like I mentioned, the floor is heavy and frequently many of these patients are incontinent, many are confused, etc.

Interested to hear others' experiences in this because often, 10 patients seems like a LOT! When I float to floors where I have 7-8 patients, it seems like a world of difference. I have heard of techs having up to 20 patients (not on a night shift) and I cannot imagine that.

On my floor it could be either or. Some days I had mostly independent, other days total cares more. Majority of surgical patients need assistance such as washing their back, feet and legs, and helping put on gowns because of IVs and heart monitors. Its a very busy but fun place to work and learn.

What hospital do u work at if u don't mind me asking?

Sounds like a pretty typical load to me.

I'm currently a PCT in local hospital in my area and in nursing school. But I have had 18 patient at once and I was the only PCT working a 12 hour shift. I'm in the staffing pool so I get sent to whenever I'm needed but I was so upset because the nurses didn't offer to help and the charge nurse was sorry. By the time I got through taking vitals, charting, it was time for me to get up and start vitals again. Good thing I was working a pediatric cardiac unit and patients' parent was there to do all the ADLs because I would not have been able to do it. I was glad I got the chance to work with newborns, infants, and children before they transferred the unit to the Children's Hospital.

med/surg 32 beds 2 PCTs/CNAs

Responsible for hourly rounds, Q4/Q8 vitals, Accucheck, full linen changes, positioning, half of the full bed baths (nights pick up the other half), toileting, feeding, assisting w/partial baths, CHG baths, ambulation if necessary. Most of our nurses are pretty cool and will help if you ask them when taking care of totals. We have people who will have both arms and legs broken regularly. LOVE our physical therapy team! They will call you when they get someone out of bed to check on their walking so you can sprint down there and change the linens really fast! :)

I totally understand. This is the reason I went to nursing school because I want other work opportunities. Nursing is hard anyway but I rather advance in my career than working as if theres no end to it on a daily bases as a pct.

I do not ever want to be a nurse that can not help my coworkers regardless of a persons job title.:no:

+ Add a Comment