If you enjoy helping others and want to make a difference in the healthcare field, becoming a Patient Care Technician (PCT) could be the right path for you. Patient care technicians work closely with nurses and doctors in caring for patients every day. This career is hands-on, meaningful, and full of opportunities for growth.
If you’re interested in what PCTs do, the skills they need, and how you can start your journey to becoming one, read on!
The Patient Care Technician career
Patient care technicians often spend more time with patients than anyone else on a healthcare team. They support nurses and care for patients in a variety of medical settings.
The main part of a patient care technician’s duties is to help with daily tasks and basic medical procedures. This includes:
- Checking vital signs like blood pressure and heart rate
- Assisting patients with bathing, eating, or moving around
- Helping nurses with medical tasks
- Tracking patient progress and reporting changes
Patient care technicians work in many different places, such as:
- Hospitals
- Nursing homes
- Long-term care facilities
- Rehabilitation centers
- Dialysis centers
- Home care scenarios
Potential career opportunities
This career doesn’t just offer meaningful work. It also provides room for growth. Many certified patient care technicians use this role as a steppingstone to further their education and pursue other jobs in healthcare like:
- Licensed practical nursing
- Medical assistants
- Phlebotomists or working in a lab
- Dialysis technicians
- And more
The patient care technician career can be a great option for healthcare, and it can also be a strong starting point for people who want to level up their healthcare career.
Is a PCT career the right fit for you?
Before beginning this path, it’s important to understand what skills you might need for success. Patient care technicians need a mix of technical skills and soft skills in order to do their job well. While a training program can teach you the medical skills you’ll need, soft skills come from your personality and life experience. These skills help you connect with patients and work well within a healthcare team.
Some of the most helpful qualities for patient care technicians include:
- Compassion: Patients may feel scared or uncomfortable, Empathy and a kind attitude can go a long way!
- Patience: Some tasks time, and some patients need extra support.
- Communication: You’ll talk with patients, nurses, and doctors every day. It’s important to have strong communication skills to prevent mistakes.
- Problem-solving: Healthcare moves quickly, and you must be able to respond calmly in a variety of situations.
- Attention to detail: Tracking changes in a patient’s condition is an important part of the job.
- Teamwork: PCTs work closely with others, so being cooperative and supportive is key.
How you can become a Patient Care Technician
Starting your journey toward becoming a PCT begins with the right training. Most employers look for certified patient care technicians, which means you’ll need to complete a training program and pass a certification exam. That process usually looks like this:
- Enroll in a training program: A patient care technician program is designed to teach you the skills you need for the job like taking vital signs, providing basic patient care, and infection control.
- Complete your coursework and hands-on training: Most programs combine classroom lessons with practical labs. This can help you learn how to perform real medical tasks safely and confidently.
- Prepare for certification: After training, you can take a certification exam. Having this certification may help you stand out when applying for jobs.
- Start your career: Apply for entry-level positions in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and other facilities. Depending on where you complete your program, some colleges will have job application resources for graduates, so be sure to take advantage of that option!
At Training Direct, our patient care technician program is designed to help students build the skills they need to enter the workforce confidently. We offer hands-on training, supportive instructors, and career services to help students prepare for the job search. If you’re ready to start a rewarding career helping others, Training Direct can help you take the first step!
