PCT vs. CNA: hiring trends in Massachusetts

[Pavolga]

Hi, guys!

I will be entering the ABSN program in January 2014, and I have no prior healthcare experience, except as a volunteer in the ED of a hospital.

My 15-month program allows ABSN students to start working as CNAs after the first semester. For a career changer like me, this would be a great opportunity to gain some clinical experience.

I tried to figure out what is the difference between Patient Care Technicians and Certified Nursing Assistants, and it appears that PCTs have additional phlebotomy and EKG skills, over CNAs. I think PCT training is a bit longer and more expensive too.

I'm not sure I would even have an easy route to become a PCT after my first semester (whereas, becoming CNA will be quite effortless), but was curious, did you notice that hospitals and other facilities prefer to hire PCTs over CNAs? The ED where I volunteer has a couple of CNAs working with RNs, but no PCTs, for what it's worth.

Thanks!

[umcRN, BSN, RN]

I worked as a summer PCT at the Brigham when I was in school. I did EKG's but no phlebotomy (although I did do finger sticks for glucoses). Not really sure how they differentiate in different institutions. The title used might just be a hospital preference but I'm not sure.

[Pavolga]

Thanks, umcRN! Were you in a BSN program? Did you have to get any additional training to work as a PCT?

[umcRN, BSN, RN]

Thanks, umcRN! Were you in a BSN program? Did you have to get any additional training to work as a PCT?

I was in a BSN program and worked the summer before my senior year (so I had a year of clinical behind me). I did do some additional training provided by the hospital that basically went over their charting system, how the various machines worked (monitors, glucometers, EKG machines etc) and we went over hospital policies and our role. It was probably a week of 8a-4p training.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

PCT is just what certain hospitals call their CNAs because the vast majority of people working in these positions are not actually Certified NAs. Every hospital calls them something different. At the Brigham, I believe they call them PCTs. At Beth Israel they call them PCAs. At MGH they are techs of some sort. At Children's, they are Clinical Assistants.

CNAs can do EKGs- whether or not they do them in certain facilities can vary facility to facility or floor to floor. Whether or not CNAs (or PCTs) do phlebotomy also varies. They did not on my floor when I worked in the hospital but did in our ED.

[Pavolga]

Thanks for the further explanation, KelRN215!

Whew, it seems that after that first semester of school, I would have to look at each facility individually to figure out which positions to apply for.