Scope of practice?

[justagirlwhosaideh]

I have recently been hired to work as a PCT on Med-Surg & in the ER (PRN for ER).

I only have my CNA certification but I was reading on here that I can/will be trained on PCT duties once I begin orientation...

My question is this: Will my scope of practice be different than say a CNA in a long term care facility?

What can I expect?

I could use some help as I have yet to be given all of the paperwork that refers to my specific job description.

[CrystalCaribean]

I got hired on as a PCT with my CNA about 8 years ago and all they did was train me in phlebotomy so I could draw blood. Everything else was the same. That was in Illinois, not sure if it's any different for other states!

[smartassmommy]

Varies by hospital and sometimes department, all PCAs where I work are taught to draw blood and do EKG.

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

In my area, it is just dependent on the hospital system. One uses "patient care techs," another nurse techs, and another nursing assistants. The pct system also has advanced nursing assistants and nurse externs which I think are the same thing but an advance nurse assistant can be an LPN who isn't allowed to give meds.

It also depends on the facility. I was a unit clerk/pct/paramedic so I could do a lot more than just the pcts. In my state, they don't require specific schooling to draw blood so I was trained with 40 pokes to draw blood. Scary.

[kida123]

It varies by hospital and by state. I recently was hired as a PCA/PCT in Texas with my CNA experience. My job title though is PCA and not CNA which means I will be able to do other thing such as taking blood sugars. Later on you can be trained to do more as a PCA like remove IV's or catheters and doing basic wound care. So yes, your scope is different if you were a CNA in a long term setting.

[justagirlwhosaideh]

It varies by hospital and by state. I recently was hired as a PCA/PCT in Texas with my CNA experience. My job title though is PCA and not CNA which means I will be able to do other thing such as taking blood sugars. Later on you can be trained to do more as a PCA like remove IV's or catheters and doing basic wound care. So yes, your scope is different if you were a CNA in a long term setting.

Thank you so much. A lot has been discussed at the hospital in which I work since I posted and now know that I will be trained on how to DC an IV & Cath as well ask training on admission, discharge, ECGs, and probably some other things as well.

Pretty sure I was just panicking when I posted this LOL.

[amason2021, CNA]

kida123 said:

It varies by hospital and by state. I recently was hired as a PCA/PCT in Texas with my CNA experience. My job title though is PCA and not CNA which means I will be able to do other thing such as taking blood sugars. Later on you can be trained to do more as a PCA like remove IV's or catheters and doing basic wound care. So yes, your scope is different if you were a CNA in a long term setting.

In Indiana, we also remove IV's and blood sugars, but we also can tie restraints if the need arises. But we can't remove foleys.