Patient Care Assistant and Patient Care Technician Programs in Allied Health

Patient care assistants are also known as patient care technicians. Their role expands on duties of nursing assistants through enhanced training provided to them in areas such as echocardiography, phlebotomy and introduction to physical therapy. They also perform standard duties of nursing assistants like caring for patients under supervision of RNs or LPNs. They measure vital signs of patients, record food intake, change linens and store or sterilize equipment. Clients are also assisted with their daily living activities and hygiene which include feeding, bathing, moving or grooming patients. This is especially true of patients in rehabilitation homes, assisted living facilities or ALFs, nursing homes and long-term care facilities who can’t take care of themselves.

Additionally, individuals trained in these programs can take care of clients in their homes over and above patient care provided in nursing homes and hospitals. Patient care assistants and technicians [PCAs or PCTs] can also provide care for an increased number of supervised clinical hours as compared to nursing assistants. There are several programs available for patient care assistants mostly in the form of certifications that are of short duration and spread over 3-5 months. License requirements apply.

Career outlook is positive in this discipline especially for assistants caring for the elderly, physically or mentally disabled and those recuperating from surgeries.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a whopping 51% growth through 2016 for employment in such areas. Salaries are also fairly lucrative with patient care technicians drawing average salaries between $22,000 and $46,000 depending on variables like education, experience, location and employer.

Top notch institutions offering quality programs include University of Phoenix and Lincoln Technical Institute. Following them closely are Kaplan University and Everest Institute well known for customized programs. Not to be bested, South University joins the group with programs that focus on student experience.