An entry into the medical field cannot be more appropriate than starting as a patient care technician. Starting under the guidance and supervision of a licensed nurse in hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes in caring for the sick, the basic requirement to become a patient care technician is a high school diploma certificate, followed by a patient care technician certification course and a training program. Employment opportunities for this position abound as the number of elderly needing round the clock care is increasing. Also, the scope of work of the patient care technician is extensive, ranging from simple everyday nursing tasks to assisting in emergency rooms to chores in operation theaters.
In this short-term patient care technician certification course, the following aspects are covered:
– Basic human anatomy and physiology;
– Medical terminology that helps in clear communication between the technician, nurse, and doctor while treating a patient;
– Basic requirements of patient hygiene and safety; wound care and infection control;
– Pharmacology: an important part of the study to understand the uses, effects, and action of drugs on sick people that will enable the use of the right approach in dealing with patients;
Phlebotomy: to learn to draw blood samples for lab testing when necessary, recording, and observing an electrocardiogram to check for signs of heart disease;
– About medical law and ethics: to be aware of the rights of patients, about doctor-patient confidentiality, their right to obtain emergency treatment, and so on.
The ultimate satisfaction of having made a positive difference in the life of an elderly who is in hospice care, a rehab center or group home is the biggest leverage of pursuing a certification as a patient care technician. Interacting with sick patients day in and day out, attending to all their needs from the time they wake up till they go to bed, ensuring they and their space are maintained hygienically, making sure patients eat healthy food and the take the right medicines at the appropriate time and constantly monitoring their vital parameters, and ensuring their comfort and well being is the primary responsibility of a patient care technician.