Why become a Hospital PCT/PCA/CNA while in NS?

rob4546, ADN, BSN, MSN · Jun 17, 2015

Well, to be fair, the "I quit in orientation" post was written 2 days after this one. So apparently the OP has changed his mind about the value of being a CNA once he experienced the work involved?
I do find it quite amusing, have to say.

Yes, very amusing. I do not like people that take both sides of the argument, they always think they are right....

umbdude, MSN, APRN · Jun 17, 2015

Perhaps he meant it was valuable experience.....as long as someone else was doing it? :)

LOLOL

jdc6773 · Jun 17, 2015

I will be done with my 2nd degree BSN in 11 months. I have been working as a PCT/US in the Emergency Department of a semi-rural hospital since September of 2014. I have to say that as someone that worked in factory work for 10 years, the skills, knowledge, and experience I am gaining is priceless

They let me do blood draws, EKGs, and vital signs regularly. Also, they let me do IVs and foleys depending on the nurse I am assisting at the moment.

Just being in the environment of an ED with the entire lifespan and an array of medical complications from rushing an OB patient upstairs to have birth to doing compressions on a patient that has coded, is more experience than I could have ever asked for. Sometimes I get a pulse back.. sometimes I don't. What I do get is to see the teamwork between the providers, paramedics, RNs, techs, respiratory, CRNA, etc.. all crowded around one individual trying to save a life. It is bittersweet and what we all go to school for in the first place. Right?

Not only do I get to participate in this, but I constantly get to see what medications, doses, etc are being used from the common cold to pushing Atropine through an IV with a 3 month old pediatric patient with an irregular heart rate of 220+.

The point of my contribution to this post is to show & express the value of working as a PCT during nursing school.

Not only am I gaining priceless experience but I am also guaranteed a job in the ED upon graduation.

I am for it. But hey, I am biased as I am currently in the position.

springchick1, ADN, RN · Jun 17, 2015

You are lucky JDC. Most places won't let you do that kind of stuff. In fact, many people get told that those things are outside your scope of practice (which they are) and it is an offense you can be fired for. Were you hired on as a student nurse tech? I know that's a different situation that being a tech.

jdc6773 · Jun 17, 2015

You are lucky JDC. Most places won't let you do that kind of stuff. In fact, many people get told that those things are outside your scope of practice (which they are) and it is an offense you can be fired for. Were you hired on as a student nurse tech? I know that's a different situation that being a tech.

I was not hired as a nurse extern (student tech)... just a PCT/US.

I do know that it is outside of my scope of practice and I was uncomfortable at first accepting their helpful guidance. They insisted and it is no different mentally than what I go through in clinical. I have not done foleys and IVs in a few weeks because I am pending a Nurse Extern title change whenever management comes up with what I can legally do and puts it in writing.

As for what is in my scope, I still currently do almost all EKGs on those that need it and blood draws when I have time (strait stick).

I am looking forward to the title change because it comes with more scope of practice and a pay increase.

johsonmichelle · Jun 21, 2015

Have you had a change of heart? You made a post about quitting your tech job and now you making this post.

springchick1, ADN, RN · Jun 21, 2015

Have you had a change of heart? You made about quitting your tech job and now you making this post.

This post was actually started 2 days before the one about quitting. That's a huge change of heart in two days!

johsonmichelle · Jun 21, 2015

This post was actually started 2 days before the one about quitting. That's a huge change of heart in two days!

the op may have been thinking about quitting even while making this post.

Themostsupreme · Jun 21, 2015

I went in this job with an open mind that i would gain valuable skills for the RN. The job i took was a cna, where the hospital didnt let u really do anything besides checking vitals and cleaning patients. Thankfully the job i quit was at an independent hospital, not some major health network. Instead of working part-time like my old job, i decided i'd go perdiem instead. That way if i really dislike the job, i dont really have to go their often, just once in a blue moon. Now instead of being a cna, i applied and recently received an offer to work as a pct on a specialty floor as opposed to general. My tasks will include doing a lot more than cleaning patients, although i've been told most patients on that unit need minimal to no assistance in regards to hygiene. Techs can suppossedly do alot more medical tasks at this hospital than your avg cna so im pretty excited about the opportunity. I'll keep my administrative assistant job and work perdiem at this hospital. I have less than a yr until i graduate so regardless of how this job goes, i wont be a tech for long. After im a nurse i plan to become a nurse educator, NP, or possibly do something with medical sales/insurance. I dont plan to stay at the bedside for long, i know some people that can get my foot in the door w/o much bedside experience.

SnowShoeRN · Jun 21, 2015

I went in this job with an open mind that i would gain valuable skills for the RN. The job i took was a cna, where the hospital didnt let u really do anything besides checking vitals and cleaning patients. Thankfully the job i quit was at an independent hospital, not some major health network. Instead of working part-time like my old job, i decided i'd go perdiem instead. That way if i really dislike the job, i dont really have to go their often, just once in a blue moon. Now instead of being a cna, i applied and recently received an offer to work as a pct on a specialty floor as opposed to general. My tasks will include doing a lot more than cleaning patients, although i've been told most patients on that unit need minimal to no assistance in regards to hygiene. Techs can suppossedly do alot more medical tasks at this hospital than your avg cna so im pretty excited about the opportunity. I'll keep my administrative assistant job and work perdiem at this hospital. I have less than a yr until i graduate so regardless of how this job goes, i wont be a tech for long. After im a nurse i plan to become a nurse educator, NP, or possibly do something with medical sales/insurance. I dont plan to stay at the bedside for long, i know some people that can get my foot in the door w/o much bedside experience.

Best of luck to you. I quit my 2nd nursing job within 2 months (while still on orientation) because I felt it was a terrible fit. I was crying to and from work everyday. My decision to quit was difficult. I had a lot of friends and family members tell me I was screwing myself over and I was very afraid I would be making the wrong decision, but ultimately knew that I had to be true to myself. I was unemployed for 4 months which was very difficult, but then I broke into pediatric home care (which I LOVED) and finally took a per diem job at a different hospital. Which turned into a part time float position. Which turned into full time job in a specialty I absolutely adore. I've since left (on excellent terms) to go back to school and will be taking my NP certification exam this summer.

The moral of the story is that only you know what's best for you and always be aware that small opportunities - like the pct job you're taking - can turn into huge ones. 80% of jobs are obtainined through networking and I'm sure not only will you meet great people at your new job, you'll like it a lot more too. Best of luck.

johsonmichelle · Jun 21, 2015

I went in this job with an open mind that i would gain valuable skills for the RN. The job i took was a cna, where the hospital didnt let u really do anything besides checking vitals and cleaning patients. Thankfully the job i quit was at an independent hospital, not some major health network. Instead of working part-time like my old job, i decided i'd go perdiem instead. That way if i really dislike the job, i dont really have to go their often, just once in a blue moon. Now instead of being a cna, i applied and recently received an offer to work as a pct on a specialty floor as opposed to general. My tasks will include doing a lot more than cleaning patients, although i've been told most patients on that unit need minimal to no assistance in regards to hygiene. Techs can suppossedly do alot more medical tasks at this hospital than your avg cna so im pretty excited about the opportunity. I'll keep my administrative assistant job and work perdiem at this hospital. I have less than a yr until i graduate so regardless of how this job goes, i wont be a tech for long. After im a nurse i plan to become a nurse educator, NP, or possibly do something with medical sales/insurance. I dont plan to stay at the bedside for long, i know some people that can get my foot in the door w/o much bedside experience.

Well its good that you got another job , please note that you will still have to perform cna duties even as a pct and a nurse. Becoming a nurse educator or nurse practitioner is not easy and you may needs years of bedside experience to qualify for those jobs, my current instructors have atleast 2 decades of bedside experience and a decade of teaching. Mind you , I attend an adn program so the requirements for nursing instructors at bsn programs maybe higher. Your lucky to get this pct job and hopefully you don't end up quitting this job.

Themostsupreme · Jun 21, 2015

Thank You for the nice post....Now did you work as an RN while in NP school? or did u 1st quit the RN position and then enroll in NP school? If i go the NP route my plan would be to start a program part-time after the bsn while gaining experience as an RN working full-time.