PATIENT CARE TECHNICIAN

The Patient Care Technician program is 5 or 7 months (depending on chosen schedule) (640 clock hours). The program prepares students to assist physicians and nurses by performing basic clinical duties in a medical facility. Topics covered include: medical law & ethics, medical communications, medical records, patient preparation, and basic laboratory procedures. Upon completion of the PCT program, graduates will have entry-level skills to obtain quality employment within the healthcare industry.

What is a Patient Care Technician?

Patient Care Technicians are responsible for providing assistance to doctors, nurses and other support staff while interacting directly with the patient. The patient care technician has the most direct contact with the patient and is a critical member of the health care team.

What does a Patient Care Technician Do?

As a Patient Care Technician some of your duties include but are not limited to:

• Responding to patient calls and requests for assistance
• Bathing, dressing, grooming and assisting with personal hygiene
• Serving meals and feeding patients if they are unable to feed themselves
• Monitoring and recording vital signs - temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration rates
• Observing, recording and reporting a patients' physical, mental, and emotional condition
• Electrocardiograms (EKGs), collecting blood (phlebotomy) and other clinical tasks
• Moving patients, transferring patents to and from a bed or wheelchair and assisting with walking
• Making beds and keeping patient rooms clean and neat
• Setting up and operating therapeutic equipment and supplies
• Assisting doctors and nurses during examinations and treatments

Curriculum

Human Behavior & Motivation

This course is designed to help the student understand the importance of positive human relations in the medical field, learn different behavioral theories, apply positive interpersonal skills to work and personal situations, and provide techniques to improve learning skills.

Career Development

This course is designed to help the student prepare for entering the job market in the health field. Topics include professional growth, job searching skills, and interviewing skills. Emphasis is placed on formulating a professional resume and rendering a successful interview.

Medical Law & Ethics

This course is designed to help the student understand moral behavior, acceptable standards of conduct, professional relations and professional organizations. In addition to covering laws pertinent to the health care facility, the course outlines various ethical codes and their current impact on society.

Anatomy & Physiology for PCT

This course is designed to assist the student in understanding structure and function of each of the body systems

Medical Terminology

This course will consist of learning prefixes, suffixes, root words and combining words as they relate to each body system.

Hematology (Blood Chemistry)

This course is designed to introduce the student to the structure, function and pathology of the blood. The course mainly covers theory, demonstration and clinical practice of common tests conducted in medical offices and blood drawing techniques such as finger sticks and venipuncture. Instruction in OSHA guidelines is emphasized and must be adhered to in this course. The course also includes an overview of medical terminology for the applicable body system.

EKG Lab Skills

This course is a study of the cardiovascular system with emphasis placed on function, common diseases and diagnostic exams. Topics covered and include the standard 12-lead EKG, rhythm strip and holter monitor.

Specimen Collections/Special Procedures

This course is designed to provide students with skills required to collect various specimens required for tests, and to also perform procedures such as patient assessment, urinary catheterization, and sterile dressing changes.

Basic Nutrition / First Aid / CPR

The first segment of this course is designed to introduce the student to the basic food groups, nutrients, their functions, and the use of therapeutic diets. The second segment is devoted to Basic Life Support which includes a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation certification course and an introduction to signs, symptoms and basic emergency care in life threatening situations.

Patient Data Information and Documentation

This course is designed to help the Patient Care Technician prepare for the hospital environment, teaching them communication between health care workers and patient information. This course also develops student skills in medical abbreviations, accessing patient information from patients' charts and other data. It includes understanding the role of ancillary services, and proper reporting between the healthcare team, filing of special reports and proper phone etiquette.

Fundamentals of Nursing

This course introduces the student to basic nursing care and clinical skills. Consideration is given to the fundamental role of the Nursing Assistant to develop student skills in communicating and understanding the residents. Resident safety, infection control, body mechanics, bed making, assisting residents with daily care are some of the topics addressed. Students will demonstrate the importance of meeting elimination needs, basic nutrition fundamentals of taking vital signs, transferring, ambulation & basic emergency care, rehabilitation and restorative care, understanding human sexuality, Patient Bill of Rights, the and principles of range of motion its exercises. The student is also introduced to the clinical aspects of nursing in a skilled care facility.

Externship

During this course the student will spend time in a clinical setting where they will apply the knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired in the classroom. This is the last course of the student's program and the *Externship must be performed during the day. Successful completion of the *Externship is not a graduation requirement.

Class Schedules

• Day schedule: Monday - Thursday 9a.m.- 3p.m.
• Evening schedule: Monday - Thursday 6p.m. - 10:00p.m.
• Externship: Monday - Friday 8a.m.-5p.m (for a period of four (4) weeks).

Education requirements

Applicants must meet the following pre-requisites: High school diploma or a General Equivalency Diploma (GED), and must also meet with the Program Director for a formal interview. At this interview the applicant will be asked standardized questions. Student selection into the program will then be based on previous education, and experience in an allied health field, grade point averages from high school and/or college transcripts, motivation, communication skills and others.

Policy for Granting Credit for Previous Education and Training

Credit for advanced placement or appropriate experiential learning will be given consideration when such education or experience is determined to be comparable to the courses offered at the Sleep Studies School. Sleep Studies School considers the transfer of credits from other institutions accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Tuition & Fees

The tuition for the Patient Care Technician program is $3,500. Financial assistance is available to those who qualify. Tuition includes lab fees & liability insurance. It does not include: textbooks, uniforms, housing, or meals.

Financing

Private loans are available!

To help make training more affordable, private loans for this course are available through Springleaf Financial Services. There is no application fee, and the company offers a variety of loan sizes to meet your needs. Simply visit http://www.springleaffinancial.com/ and select, "Apply Now" to see if you qualify. Once an application form is filled-out, a representative from the branch closest to you will contact you.

Here are a few facts about the loans:

• Private Student Loan
• Based on credit and ability to pay
• Finances education and travel costs
• No application fees
• Different loan sizes available
• Monthly payments
• Allows co-applicants

In addition, Sleep School at Rockdale is a proud WorkForce Initiative Eligible Provider. All of our Allied Health Programs are included on the Atlanta Regional Workforce Board's (ARWB) local Intensive Service Listing. To see if you are eligible for this program, fill out an application at www.atlantaregional.com/wiatraining

Career Outlook

The employment prospect for patient care techniciansis very good. According to various leading health care industry experts, around 21% to 35% growth in the job market is expected over the next decade because of the rapidly aging population. In addition to this, according to information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the outlook for employment in the industry also seems to be excellent and around 647,000 new jobs from 2006-2016 in the wider field of nursing aides, orderlies and attendants, which includes these technicians, is expected to rise. Moreover, a major employer for patient care techs will be nursing homes and long term care facilities for people with chronic illnesses and disabling conditions.