Study CNA/ CT or just phlebotomy and EKG tech

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I am making a career change late at the age of 50. I recently enrolled in a CNA course and plan to go on to study PCT (which will give me Phlebtomy, EKG, etc). I live in NYC, but will probably lose my job soon. I have researched CNA/PCT AND phlebotomy and EKG Tech. I just don't have the inclination to do the schooling for LPN and this seems like a quick way of getting a trade/job. I have lots of questions and just need some honest answers.

1. I am wondering if its NECESSARY/Preferrable to become a CNA and then a PCT or should I just skip CNA and instead study Phlebotomy and EKG tech seperately? I have to become a CNA first and then take another class to become a PCT(Patient Care tech). I am told that CNA'a can find a job more easily and mostly in nursing homes?? True? What is going to get me employed quickest in a hospital?

2. My sister is a RN and is kind of DOWN on the idea. She said that CNA spend alot of time cleaning up people in dirty diapers (bed pans) and cleaning nasty bed soars. I am sure that CNA's do have clean up bowel movements but is that really something that happens all day long on the job or is it more like once a week/month?

3. Based on my research of this noble field I think the PCT gives me ALL these skills and makes me MORE employable. I just don't necessarily want to study CNA and work in a nursing home. I want to do more of the EKG/Phlebtomy/vital signs stuff.

4. It is really easy to find work? The pay is quite good in hospitals in NYC. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated :specs:

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Hi! Are you doing the CNA course at Naugatuck Valley? I am also going to do the Patient Care Tech there and I am taking the CNA course that starts up the week after next. I am not aiming towards working in a nursing home but more towards a hospital or office setting. I have done alot of looking around and MidState hires PCTs. I have also seen CNA's hired in some doctor's offices. I think that any education we can get to build on the CNA is beneficial. I am starting with this and then will see whether I want to go on and get the LPN. I, too, am older, so I hope you are in my class!

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Specializes in LTC.

1. I don't live in a state where we have PCT's so I really don't know much about them. I do know that CNA's can find work much easier than phlebotomists or EKG techs. Hospitals want phlebotomists with lots of experience, and I've never seen an EKG tech our RT's are cross trained.

It really depends on the state as to how easy it is to get into a hospital. Where I live everyone wants experience.

2. Everyone poops and as a CNA you'll have days your up to your elbows in it. I can often be quoted saying "I don't mind poop as long as there is no finger painting involved." Last night I cleaned up a large man with loose stools about three times and quite honestly I don't think cleaning up poop was the worst part of my night. The worst part was the green colored urine you could smell from the other side of the unit. CNAs don't touch bedsores, that's the nurses job.

3. Most hospital patients are elderly. When nursing home patients get sick or need surgery they have to send them somewhere. As a CNA in a hospital I'll maybe do a set of vital signs once a week if a nurse asks me too. As a CNA on a floor with 26 patients I'm not expected to get vital signs on everyone. Most hospitals in my area that utilize CNAs as phlebotomists have them only draw stat draws. I had the night from hell last night on a busy cardiac unit and only saw the phlebotomist come up once for a stat draw. Stat draws only tend to happen when patients start to try and go bad. As I said I work on a cardiac unit and I maybe saw the RT/EKG gal up once to get an EKG done. I'm sure med-surg floors do a heck lot less EKGs than we do. The bulk of CNA/PCT work is basic patient care. You clean, bathe, toilet, comfort, redirect, pass water, asisst nurses, answer call-lights, and occassionally you'll get to do something more than that.

4. It all depends on how needed CNA/PCTs are in your area. I know that in a lot of areas you have to do time in the nursing homes before you can move on to the hospitals.

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hi there, I am not in your nautaug class(SP). my class is in nyc.

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hi there, I am not in your nautaug class(SP). my class is in nyc.

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wow casi, sounds like the poop thing is part of the job. your job sounds challenging. how long have you been doing it? what city state do you work in? what did it take you longest to adjust to? I am not sensitve to bad smells but I am really trying to get a real idea of what it is like. cna start at $15 p hour here and go up....is that close to what you make? THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR INFO.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

Congratulations on the career change. I am a nursing student who has a certificate in phlebotomy and while a phlebotomist typically make more money then CNAs, CNAs have a much easier time finding jobs then phlebotomist do. I am a student so I can only work part time and most places don't want a part time phlebomoist because phlebotomy is something you have to do often so you don't run out of practice. Most places have a phlebotomist or CNAs do EKGs, I am formally training in EKGs from my phelbotomy training. I would suggest that if you really just want to do phlebotomy and EKGs then go look around for a community college or school with a really good program and sign up for the phlebotomy program (most are only 1 or 2 semesters) and apply for every phelbotomy job you can find. This may require you taking a per diem job for a while or a job that is part time as a lab assistant and the other times you will do phelbotomy. You can be a CNA first and find a job and then receive training for phelbotomy/ekg tech. which is fine too but most likely you will only make what a CNA does and you might not receive formal training in phelbotomy, it might only be on the job training. Its really up to you though, good luck!

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Well if you aren't looking into going to school for advanced nursing maybe you should just go to school for a medical assistant. Most medical assistants work in clinics and also help with desk type work. I have a friend who is one. And he does pretty well working alone at a office and doing clinical work on other days. And makes very good money. Also he dosent work under strick staffing. He is like his own boss. Takes breaks when he wants and just emails his boss when he checks out for the day.

If you do choose to be a CNA yes you will have to deal with alot of changing pt's or residents which we call incontient care. But also not every pt needs assistants some are independent and able to clean and dry themselves. If you do choose to work as a CNA though incontient care comes with it. As far as bedsores you will just report it to your charge nurse and you may just blot the area while doing a bed bath.

PCT's aren't used in every state. And alot of times you can get crossed trained as a CNA to learn how to read EKG's and do phelmbotomy practices. Or you can pay some school to learn all including CNA skills. I hope to become a PCT as well. I decided to become a CNA 1st and then get crossed trained due to the job market being a LOT BIGGER for CNA's. I hope this helped you!

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Specializes in LTC.
wow casi, sounds like the poop thing is part of the job. your job sounds challenging. how long have you been doing it? what city state do you work in? what did it take you longest to adjust to? I am not sensitve to bad smells but I am really trying to get a real idea of what it is like. cna start at $15 p hour here and go up....is that close to what you make? THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR INFO.

I've been a CNA for 4 years. I work in St. Paul MN.

The hardest thing to adjust to for me was approaching patients to gve such personal cares.

In MN CNA's start around $10/hr. With 4 years of experience I'm making a little over $15/hr

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I would do both, the CNA as well as phlebotomy and EKG. It would make you more marketable. I feel it is always best to have as many skills under your hat as possible, because you never know how it becomes handy.

I started out as a CNA and took the additional class in phlebotomy. Finally, I got hired as a Patient Care Associate and was counted on to do the bloodwork in my clinic. I got called more for overtime and health fairs because of this additional skill, and now, as an LPN, it has benefited me even more, because believe it or not, they do not focus on phlebotomy in nursing school. It is usually an on the job training. In fact, just yesterday, I was called as a nurse to go work at a health fair where bloods were being drawn because none of the CNAs that were assigned were able to, and there was no phlebotomist. What did that equate to me? More money. They had to pay me at a nurse's rate to perform that skill.

After gaining the education as a phlebotomist, I would also volunteer to work in a lab to gain the confidence and skill in drawing blood, because just learning in school is not enough. You have to experience the 'hard sticks', rolling veins, etc... to gain confidence. Believe me, it is a win win, whether you choose to continue your education up the nursing ladder or not.

Also, skipping the CNA to just draw blood may leave you in a dead end situation, because (at least in my area), most phlebotomists are hired part time, or per diem. Most hospitals are multi-tasking, now, and hiring CNAs that have these additional skills.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Well if you aren't looking into going to school for advanced nursing maybe you should just go to school for a medical assistant. Most medical assistants work in clinics and also help with desk type work. I have a friend who is one. And he does pretty well working alone at a office and doing clinical work on other days. And makes very good money. Also he dosent work under strick staffing. He is like his own boss. Takes breaks when he wants and just emails his boss when he checks out for the day.

If you do choose to be a CNA yes you will have to deal with alot of changing pt's or residents which we call incontient care. But also not every pt needs assistants some are independent and able to clean and dry themselves. If you do choose to work as a CNA though incontient care comes with it. As far as bedsores you will just report it to your charge nurse and you may just blot the area while doing a bed bath.

PCT's aren't used in every state. And alot of times you can get crossed trained as a CNA to learn how to read EKG's and do phelmbotomy practices. Or you can pay some school to learn all including CNA skills. I hope to become a PCT as well. I decided to become a CNA 1st and then get crossed trained due to the job market being a LOT BIGGER for CNA's. I hope this helped you!

The only thing I have against going for medical assistant training is that in many cases, the courses are quite expensive and they are limited to the doctor's office (in fact, many have a hard time finding jobs after completion of their course). Some of the schools charge more than $12,000 (practically the same as paying a nursing program), and for that, to have difficulty finding a position is hard. Or, to find one, and it pays less than what your friend may make. If the OP decided to take this inclusive training now, to become a CNA as well as the additional courses in phlebotomy and EKG, there is a chance that they can still get hired at a doctor's office without paying all of that money and still have options to work in other settings.

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THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THE WEALTH OF feedback. This website and all of its members ROCK!!!!! I really have a better idea of what to expect as a CNA And a PCT. I really believe that after all the feedback here that as a PCT that I will be doing more than just bedpan stuff. I am able to compare responses from CNA and PCT'S here and clearly the scope of the changes as a PCT. Bellvue hospital does not hire CNA in NYC. PCT's is what they hire. I can now make an educated choice. ANY additional new info not mentioned above would be greatly appreciated. Your individual stories of what goes on at work also give me an idea of what a day will be like in my new profession. But again many THANKS TO ALL YOU WONDERFUL PEOPLE. I have learned more in 24 Hours than in the last 2 months.

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