PCTs - How many patients?

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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.

We max out at 42 beds and 4 aides. Frequently have 25-35 beds full, and 3 aides. Overnights is 2 aides regardless of census.

I have duo'd 36 people over a dinner. And i've solo'd 21 w/7 feeders over a dinner. Had a bit of help from my nurse in those cases. Normally not.

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That is a work load. Too much for one person to handle but that is the Healthcare field.

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I understand. I work dayshift and each tech has up to 10 or 11 patients and it can be exhausting because it is to busy on dayshift. That is why i am back in school working on my ASN because my body wont be young forever. Nursing is a lot of hardwork and patients.:yawn:

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Specializes in Acute Rehab, IMCU, ED, med-surg.

ICU on night shift - usually 10:1, sometimes a little more if census is low. Manageable because the RNs are 2:1 max.

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

Depends on the facility. When I worked as a PCNA, we were only allowed to have up to 8 patients max on days and up to 14 on nights.

When I worked as a NT, there were times where you would have the WHOLE floor to yourself. My home unit was a busy 24-bed med-surg unit. Most of the time there would be 2 on (whether NT's or NA's), some days we would have 3 (and those were the best!) but other days there would just be one. You would still be responsible for all of the vital signs and everything. On another floor, there were 40 beds, and if you were by yourself, you wouldn't have to be responsible for vital signs; instead they wanted you answer call lights and help out with other tasks.

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Omg! I couldn't imagine having that many patients all the time...I work evenings on a surgical floor and we usually have 4-6 patients per tech. Sometimes 7 or 8 but that's when we're shortstaffed. When I float to other floors they usually have 4-6 patients per tech too.

i have an interview for a great hospital. the position is for a pct (surgical services) days. i have been a cna for 8 yrs but this would be my first hospital job if i get it. i saw that you are a pct on the surgical unit. just wanted to get an idea of what kind of things u have to do working as a pct on that unit. any tips would help also thanks in advance. super nervous and excited !!!

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
i have an interview for a great hospital. the position is for a pct (surgical services) days. i have been a cna for 8 yrs but this would be my first hospital job if i get it. i saw that you are a pct on the surgical unit. just wanted to get an idea of what kind of things u have to do working as a pct on that unit. any tips would help also thanks in advance. super nervous and excited !!!

If you're going to be working on an inpatient surgical floor, you will be doing a lot of vital signs. Post operatively, patients require frequent vital signs...as do patients receiving pain medicines through a PCA (patient controlled analgesia), as well as patients requiring blood transfusions.

These patients also have a lot of drains...some are draining blood or other fluids from surgery, like a JP or blake drain. There are also foley catheters draining urine and NG tubes used for draining gastric contents. Accurate measurement of intake and output is paramount.

Also, many of these patients are either not allowed anything by mouth and therefore at risk for low blood sugar...or nothing by mouth and maintained by IV fluids containing dextrose, which can increase a patient's blood sugar. Therefore, it is pertinent to check a patient's blood sugar in a timely fashion per the physician's orders. And if a patient is acting strangely, checking vital signs and a blood sugar will help the nurses and doctors get an accurate picture of what is going on. Sometimes it's something as simple as one of those things.

Also, if a patient is not putting out enough urine, he or she may have an issue with urinary retention, so bladder scanning is important. So is keeping tabs on a patient's bowel movements.

The final thing that is very important is encouraging a patient to ambulate early and often. These patients tend to have pneumatic compression devices (they need to be ON while in bed!), drains, an IV pole and possibly oxygen and a heart monitor, but that means they still must get up and move, so they will need your help!

It sounds like a lot but being a tech on a surgical floor is very rewarding as you can see improvement with your patients. Also, there tends to be less incontinence, turns, et al. But remember incontinent people and those who can't move have surgery also. :) And sometimes, techs on a surgical floor have fewer patients than a medical floor because there are more tasks to be done.

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Hi everyone! I currently work as a CNA in a nursing home. I wanted to switch to a PCT at the hospital. How different are the 2 and has anyone worked at both and can give me any tips? The hospital is hiring for telemetry unit and sugical unit. Which one would be better? Also the bathing care is prob different than nursing home? We bring them to a shower room n help them there. Can anyone give me an idea of care plans for pts in the hospital differ from care in nusing homes?

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This was my day as a CNA on a cardiovascular surgical floor in a hospital with between 6-9pts:

0645: receive report from off going CNA

0700: Begin vital signs, take blood sugars, and make sure patients were turned and breakfast was ordered by 0800.

0800-1100 Baths, linen change daily every bed, document breakfast, ambulating pts, ADLs, discharges/admission, complete turns @1000.

1100 :start vital signs and blood sugars and make sure lunch is coming and pts turned @12

1200-1500- get a lunch break,

Document lunch, ADLs, more walks with patients,discharges, admissions. I&Os @1500

Turns @1400

1500: start vitals signs

1600: turns and walks

1700-1800- blood sugars and dinner, last turn for shift @1800

1800-1900-pull trash, pass ice make sure all patients have what they need amd have been to BR.

1845: give report and answer call bells until....

1915: clock out

There is always other things to do in addition to the above basics but they are pt specific and non predictable

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Thank you. Have u ever worked at a nursing home before?

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Ive worked at several assisted livings

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Are the baths like a bed bath or in surgery they can wash themselves?

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