PCT jobs harder than they once were?

[funtimes]

I heard a couple RNs talking at work the other night. They were really experienced RNs who mainly do vascular procedures like PICC lines throughout the hospital, and they were discussing a tech who wound up with a bloody nose after getting punched by a patient, AFTER having a urinal poured on her by a different patient(what a shift eh). Both had started out as Nurse assistants in a hospital over 30 years ago.

According to both of them, the patient care has gotten ten times harder than when they first started out in Nursing, and the workload for techs in particular has gotten a lot worse. They said they feel so bad for the techs they see on the floors and don't remember it ever being as bad as it is now.

I thought it was mainly just THIS hospital, which is notorious for being a great place to work as an RN and a horrible place to work as a tech(so say the RNs who once worked there as techs). Is this pretty much the case everywhere, has the job for techs just gotten much harder than it once was? Is this because of the bad economy and the fact there are so many more people applying for every tech job?

I feel like the attitude is the techs are looked at like horses, and they just ride them to death and switch to another one. A new tech I was orienteering worked in the corporate world before deciding to do a career change into nursing and work as a tech while in school. She was honest, and said the job seems so much more stressful and difficult than what she expected and worse than anything shed experienced before. I think the tech with the bloody nose freaked her out. I tried to comfort her by telling her I've never had a urinal poured on me and been punched in the face during the same shift.

[Nalon1 RN/EMT-P, BSN, RN]

...

Sorry, but I get tired of hearing techs complain about how hard their job is, etc... My response is the same, those techs should try walking a mile in a nurse's shoes on a busy hospital unit and I can almost assure you that they will look back on their tech job and realize it isn't so bad. If techs want more money, they can go to nursing school and start a professional career. Otherwise, do the job you were hired for or find something else that isn't so stressful.

I was a tech in the ER. I am an acute care nurse. Overall I find my job as a nurse easier.

Have you ever been a tech? If not, don't assume anything about which one someone would find easier (and easier is a vague term). Every facility and department is different, and everyone has different experiences. Both jobs are difficult and have their own unique challenges. ANd yes, no matter what job your hired for, do it or find something else, nurse, tech or whatever it is.

[cdsavannah59, CNA]

SierraBravo, Techs earn way less then a RN, and I have no doubt it can be stressful to be a nurse, to suggest a pct get a higher education is stupid because we choose the career we wanted and because not all PCT's wants to be a nurse with the responsibility the RN carries in dealing with other lives. I choose being a tech instead, but being a tech can be just as stressful for different reasons. The workload piled on techs is tremendous, taking directions from multiple nurses while dealing with up to 25 rooms to assist with. The lower your education is in a hospital the harder they work the less paid to be able to afford the RN's. I'm not a PCT for the money so I feel no need to higher my education, it's what I want to do. To say we need to stop complaining and just do the job we were hired to do, well one day if you don't treat your pct right she may walk off the job and let you do it yourself. Your wages are worth it, ours are not. I would never want to be a nurse, to much responsibility with human life.

[RunnerD1987]

Wouldn't say harder...definitely stretched thin yes. I mean, but that is with most job's I think in Hospitals now a day's. Feel have to do ten task at once. As far as belittling and people being negative it is a common occurrence in healthcare. At times people above other's with job's will look down on those below them. I have seen change with some hospitals and some go backwards. It depends a lot on hospital policies and manager's/supervisors. We had a nurse I remember one day asked me what I was doing, do work, and give the computer to her once. I did don't feel like causing waves rarely see this nurse. Found a computer farther away to finish my work on the computer writing my notes on my patient's.

[SierraBravo]

well one day if you don't treat your pct right she may walk off the job and let you do it yourself. Your wages are worth it, ours are not. I would never want to be a nurse, to much responsibility with human life.

I understand where you are coming from, and I can appreciate your point of view. The fact of the matter is that I do most all of the PCT duties for my patients as it is, so also having to do VS on my patients wouldn't be that much more than I am already doing. Keep in mind, this is based on my experience and my unit. The only clinical thing that PCT's do on my unit is VS. I draw my own blood, do my own BG's, do my own EKG's, etc... And when I could use a PCT to help with a cleanup, well... they're nowhere to be found or I get attitude from them. Do I have a use for PCT's? Nope. I can do their job as well as my own without any problems. And I don't have to feel frustrated when I ask her to do something and get attitude in return.

[funtimes]

I understand where you are coming from, and I can appreciate your point of view. The fact of the matter is that I do most all of the PCT duties for my patients as it is, so also having to do VS on my patients wouldn't be that much more than I am already doing. Keep in mind, this is based on my experience and my unit. The only clinical thing that PCT's do on my unit is VS. I draw my own blood, do my own BG's, do my own EKG's, etc... And when I could use a PCT to help with a cleanup, well... they're nowhere to be found or I get attitude from them. Do I have a use for PCT's? Nope. I can do their job as well as my own without any problems. And I don't have to feel frustrated when I ask her to do something and get attitude in return.

So basically you don't want techs on your unit doing anything medical, you just want someone to clean up code browns all shift. Great learning environment for the techs im sure, particularly if your attitude is an example of the culture on your unit.

Maybe the techs on your unit don't want to do anything more than absolutely required because of this mindset. Who wants to go the extra mile helping out people like that. One of the reasons some techs will tolerate the low wages, crazy patients and arrogant nurses is because they think they might get the chance to learn something, but we cant go having that can we. You basically want a paid butt wiper.

At first I thought maybe the techs on your unit had it easy, but now I realize its probably a horrible unit to work on, hence the low morale and alledged attitudes. I feel bad for the patients stuck on this unit. Usually when its like this the patient care is horrible.

[cdsavannah59, CNA]

Fun times, love your response. And I agree that's the exact reason some Techs don't want to help. On my unit almost all the nurses are team players, but there are one or two that refuse to do it if they have a tech. If that nurse is playing on her cell phone as she asks me to do something you can bet I will find something else to do real quick and tell her I'm busy. I am very easy to get along with and a great team player but nothing is more irritating then a coworker who seems to think they can sit at work and do nothing when they feel lazy, to me that is stealing company money (pay), we all have those moments we can sit for a few minutes and relax, but when duty calls I'm up joining the team players to make our patient care one that patients brag about and I let the lazy one fend for herself.

[SierraBravo]

So basically you don't want techs on your unit doing anything medical, you just want someone to clean up code browns all shift. Great learning environment for the techs im sure, particularly if your attitude is an example of the culture on your unit.

Maybe the techs on your unit don't want to do anything more than absolutely required because of this mindset. Who wants to go the extra mile helping out people like that. One of the reasons some techs will tolerate the low wages, crazy patients and arrogant nurses is because they think they might get the chance to learn something, but we cant go having that can we. You basically want a paid butt wiper.

At first I thought maybe the techs on your unit had it easy, but now I realize its probably a horrible unit to work on, hence the low morale and alledged attitudes. I feel bad for the patients stuck on this unit. Usually when its like this the patient care is horrible.

To be honest I wish we could get rid of the techs. The ones that have constant attitude and barely do the minimum required for the job are an impediment to patient care. When you talk about the learning environment for the techs, do you realize what the techs scope of practice is? What good would it do if I showed them how I place an NG tube or a foley, or how to properly do a sterile technique? The answer is it would do no good because they couldn't do any of those procedures anyway as it's way outside their scope of practice. If they want to learn medical skills, they should go to medical school; and if they want to learn nursing skills then they should go to nursing school. My job description does not state that I need to teach a tech how to do my job. Know your role and do your own job.

Your ignorance and attitude are consistent with many of the techs that I deal with; that is, an attitude of entitlement. Here's the cold, hard fact of the matter... You're an unlicensed technician. Your job is to assist the nurses in taking care of patients. If that means cleaning someone up because I'm busy dealing with a code, well then that's the way it is at that moment. If you can't accept that then you need to find another job. It sounds as if you want to practice outside the scope of your practice and that will quickly get you into trouble.

You have no idea what the culture is on my unit, nor do you know me. So to make those assumptions just further illustrates your ignorance and entitlement attitude.

Like I said before, if you want to be a physician then go to medical school. If you want to be a nurse then go to nursing school. If you want to be a tech and work within the limitations that exist for techs, then continue doing what you're doing. Otherwise you need to know your role and do your own job.

[Nalon1 RN/EMT-P, BSN, RN]

To be honest I wish we could get rid of the techs. The ones that have constant attitude and barely do the minimum required for the job are an impediment to patient care. When you talk about the learning environment for the techs, do you realize what the techs scope of practice is? What good would it do if I showed them how I place an NG tube or a foley, or how to properly do a sterile technique? The answer is it would do no good because they couldn't do any of those procedures anyway as it's way outside their scope of practice. If they want to learn medical skills, they should go to medical school; and if they want to learn nursing skills then they should go to nursing school. My job description does not state that I need to teach a tech how to do my job. Know your role and do your own job.

Your ignorance and attitude are consistent with many of the techs that I deal with; that is, an attitude of entitlement. Here's the cold, hard fact of the matter... You're an unlicensed technician. Your job is to assist the nurses in taking care of patients. If that means cleaning someone up because I'm busy dealing with a code, well then that's the way it is at that moment. If you can't accept that then you need to find another job. It sounds as if you want to practice outside the scope of your practice and that will quickly get you into trouble.

You have no idea what the culture is on my unit, nor do you know me. So to make those assumptions just further illustrates your ignorance and entitlement attitude.

Like I said before, if you want to be a physician then go to medical school. If you want to be a nurse then go to nursing school. If you want to be a tech and work within the limitations that exist for techs, then continue doing what you're doing. Otherwise you need to know your role and do your own job.

Our job as a nurse is to help others. If you don't want to help your techs become better techs that is your prerogative. Don't know, maybe your techs are worthless, but I doubt all of them are. A tech knowing what you need to place an NG tube, foley, start an IV or what a sterile field is can only help you. Taking time to show a tech that you have time to help them makes them more likely to help you. No you don't need to spend 20 minutes showing them over and over, but talking through it while you do it and they are in there then answering any questions really takes no extra time.

As a tech when things were being done to patients, I wanted to see. Nurses knew this and asked if I wanted to watch. Learned quite a bit that way.

Sounds like where you work sucks.

[cdsavannah59, CNA]

Our job as a nurse is to help others. If you don't want to help your techs become better techs that is your prerogative. Don't know, maybe your techs are worthless, but I doubt all of them are. A tech knowing what you need to place an NG tube, foley, start an IV or what a sterile field is can only help you. Taking time to show a tech that you have time to help them makes them more likely to help you. No you don't need to spend 20 minutes showing them over and over, but talking through it while you do it and they are in there then answering any questions really takes no extra time.

As a tech when things were being done to patients, I wanted to see. Nurses knew this and asked if I wanted to watch. Learned quite a bit that way.

Sounds like where you work sucks.

I Agree. Also I would never want to work along side of SierraBravo, her attitude is why she gets no help, and if the other RNs on her unit act like her, that may very well be why your techs are not wanting to help y'all. I'm a tech and I can say for fact that not every tech wants to be a nurse, me included. Although I love the patient care part, I have never wanted the responsibility of a RN where lives can be at stake if a error is made. So SierraBravo don't think your title makes me envious I do not want your job. And I will say that although you will not be able to get rid of techs entirely on your own, you will make them all want to work on another unit. I feel so blessed to work in the unit I currently work on because at the end of every shift the nurses say thanks for helping me today. If I worked with a nurse like you, I would avoid you. I hope you don't treat your patients with the lack of respect like you do your techs. On another note, Nalon1 you are definitely the type of nurse that I would respect and would love to learn from and help out whenever needed.

[G019, BSN, RN]

At the end of the day we're all here for the well being of the patient. We're all employee's working for the same hospital network. We get paid at the same time ect. One person couldnt do it all without the help of another. When you respect others you get better results. I've dealt with a few RN's and Techs with attitudes but I take it like a grain of salt because there's a deeper issue going on that has nothing to do with me. I'm here for my patients and the petty stuff is just a distraction. If you're happy with what you do as an RN/Tech, your attitude would show it. I love what I do and its pushed me to want to go further.

[funtimes]

Here's the problem. RNs like Sierra Bravo are BSN's. BSN implies you went for some extra schooling to learn management skills, and at one time that's actually what BSN meant. Not any more. Now its just a piece of paper RNs use to get an entry level RN job. Now you have entry level RNs with zero real world experience and zero management or leadership ability put in a role they neither have the aptitude for, experience for, or desire to do. If an RN cant deal successfully deal with "unlicensed" personnel, they should try home care, for the good the patients.

Techs are not going anywhere. It is cost prohibitive to staff extra RNs making 60,000 a year. By the way the job title is patient care technician, not Nurse assistant. Sierra Bravo thinks MDs and RNs are the only medical professionals in a hospital. Someone forgot to tell the RRTs, radiology techs, CT techs, Physical therapists, PAs, phlebotomists, MA's Pharmacy techs, ER techs, PCTs and other health care professionals this. I guess RNs can do all that stuff right?

As for what a PCT can do, a PCT works under the license of a phsyician, and their scope largely depends on what the physician allows them to do and what they are trained to do, not what some rookie floor nurse decides it is.

And if it matters, I have had a health care license probably longer than you, Ive been a licensed Emergency Medical technician Basic and Intermediate for many years. The word license doesn't bestow magical powers on someone. I wont be a tech much longer when I become an RRT, but someone will still have to do the job. The way your unit does things(probably the only one you've ever worked on) is far from how every unit and hospital does things. If your hospital staffs enough RNs that they don't need techs, more power to them, hopefully they aren't bleeding money to the point they go under.

[funtimes]

Your ignorance and attitude are consistent with many of the techs that I deal with; that is, an attitude of entitlement. Here's the cold, hard fact of the matter... You're an unlicensed technician. Your job is to assist the nurses in taking care of patients. If that means cleaning someone up because I'm busy dealing with a code, well then that's the way it is at that moment. If you can't accept that then you need to find another job. It sounds as if you want to practice outside the scope of your practice and that will quickly get you into trouble.

This brings up something else I should mention. Your common theme seems to be that techs have a sense of entitlement, but it seems to me its you, and many other RN's sense of entitlement that is causing the problem. You seem to think a degree entitles you to certain things, and seem upset when people don't automatically grant you this perceived entitlement.

Most techs worked their way up from the bottom, going to CNA school and working in LTC before working in a hospital. The fact you didn't do this might be why you and some RNs have this sense of entitlement. I don't think it should be a requirement to be an RN, but it is an unspoken requirement to be taken seriously if you are going to comment on other people doing a job you haven't done.

As for not teaching the techs anything. I've been a preceptor and a was a Field Training Officer for an EMS agency and it just doesn't sound like your cut out for any type of teaching anyway, so probably for the best they learn from someone a little more laid back and less egotistical. Having experience with something doesn't make someone superior over someone who doesn't have experience. I've started hundreds of IVs, I would never act like that makes me superior over someone starting one for the first time, regardless of if they are an RN or tech. When I floated as a tech I learned quickly that you will always be inexperienced at something.

Claiming a degree automatically makes you competent or more knowledgeable and skilled in every area of health care than someone else who doesn't have the same degree is going to create lots of problems for you in the long run. I hope you don't work in an ER. I doubt it as most ER Nurses are pretty chill and good at working with different types of staff. On the floors and in the ICUs not so much.