Scottsdale Healthcare and Scottsdale Community College

Most of these programs have requirements that you have been an employee there for a period of one year before you can apply to the program. And they expect you to remain at the facility in the role of the RN for a certain period of time after you complete your training.

Suggest that you check with them before you start any planning, it is always better to do it that way and know where you stand with them..

I can say that they were great facilities to work at, prefer them over most of the others in the Valley.

Suzanne4,

Thanks. That is why I was checking first, before I made any changes to current plans.It was put out there, and thought I would find out more about it. Plus, I couldn't find any info on the program anywhere, so that was telling me it wasn't just a cut and dry thing. Just wanted to explore all the options out there. SHC is a great organization, that I do know from recent personal experience as a patient. I haven't really ever heard a complaint about them. Although, at this rate, it may be well over a year before I can even get into an MCCD nursing program, so it could still be an option.

I don't work at SHC but I have been a PCT for about 6 months elsewhere. CNA's perform basic patient care, such as transferring the patient, setting the patient up for meals, help feed the patient, help the patient with his bath, etc. PCT's are trained to do those things plus a few other things, for me that was inserting/dc'ing Foley catheters, sterile procedures (needed for the Foley catheter), dc'ing regular heplocked IV's, and taking 12-lead EKG's. I've heard of PCT's that are trained as phlebotomists, as well.

The pay is not exactly high, I started out with no experience at about $11/hr. It IS hard work and you have stay on your feet for 12hrs, I got a total of 45 minutes break (15 for breakfast, 30 for lunch) and I saw a lot of nasty things (my last day as a PCT a patient actually voided on my shoes and pants). But at the same time it is excellent experience when you want to become an RN. You get direct patient experience, and you see so many interesting things. In the end it is totally worth it for a while, I would just not recommend it as a career in itself. :)

Good luck! I hope you find the right program!

Thanks Knorremeisje!

Yeah, I wasn't planning it as a career, just as a stepping stone for being an RN. I have no real healthcare experience, other than being a patient, so I am considering at least getting my feet wet (no pun intended , while I am waiting to finish my pre-req's & then waiting to get into one of the MCCD programs. Wow, I didn't realize the PCT's did so much! Where did you get your training for that? Did the hospital you worked for do the training program? Thanks again for the info!

Rachael.

I got my CNA training at a nursing home for free, I then waited about three weeks to take my state board test and got my licence shortly after that. I got a job about two weeks after I put myself "on the market". I got trained to be a PCT at the hospital during an extra day of orientation. You then basically get signed off for those four extra tasks during the rest of your orientation.

It's definitely a good way to get some clinical experience. After 6 months of PCT work, I changed to become a Unit Secretary/Monitor Tech. Also very good paperwork experience, you get to read doctor's orders and put them in the computer system, I'm also trained in basic EKG interpretation so I watch the heart monitors and print out the strips as well. I think the combination of PCT and US/MT is the best way to gain an all-round experience before nursing school.

Let me know if you have any other questions! And again, best of luck!

(I'm off to take my A&PI midterm, so wish me some luck as well! )

Great info! If you don't mind telling me, was it a Banner hospital you work for? So, they just trained you for the PCT certification once you were hired as a CNA? Did you just contact a nursing home about the CNA course?

Good luck with your midterm!

I will send you a PM with the hospital and more info on their training.

Actually I just opened the news paper and found a nursing home in there. I think a couple of nursing homes around the valley offer the CNA class. Of course they expect you to work for them, but you don't have to sign any contract that binds you to them after your class is over.

My midterm went well! Jeuj! I got a great B on the multiple choice part, and the essay part went great so I'm hopeful! I really do want to end this class with an A! I guess I have another eight weeks to do so!

Thanks, I will appreciate the info. Congrats on the midterm!:balloons: I am starting A&PI Jan 7. I have my microbio final next Saturday. I too am looking to get an A in that class. I have an 89% in the class right now, so need an A on that final to get an A in the class. It is always such a relief when those tests are over!

Thanks again for all of your help!

I have been taking them all through Rio. I LOVED my microbio class. The only thing I didn't like is that we are just now getting into the "good stuff", like epidemeology, immunology, etc. and now the class is over. The class is more of a general overview of microbiology. I actually asked my professor if there were any other classes that go into the more advanced microbio. Unfortunately, there are none through MCCD. Maybe I am just wierd! I just found it so interesting because I was in the hospital for 2.5 wks and then on 8 wks home health care over the summer for an Enterococcal infection. So, it was kinda' cool to learn about this stuff, since I was personally affected by it. Good luck with the class, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!