Overview

Patient Care Technician Program at the Medical Training Institute of New York prepares the student to work in a hospital, Assisted living, or long-term care environment under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse. This one-semester course prepares the student to work in a hospital, assisted living, or long-term care environment under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse. Students are trained to perform clinical skills such as monitoring and recording vital signs, assisting with mobility and activities of daily living, basic respiratory care, obtaining specimens, heat and cold applications, pre-and post-operative care, and other tasks related to direct patient care.

What is the Difference Between a Patient Care Technician and a Certified Nurse Assistant Advanced?

The Certified Nurse Assistant Advanced Program and the Patient Care Technician Program consist of EKG, Phlebotomy, and clinical lab skills.

Certified Nurse Advanced: The student will begin with the Certified Nurse Assistant curriculum and end with EKG, Phlebotomy, and Clinical Lab Skills.

Patient Care Technician: If the student already holds a Certified Nurse Assistant certificate and only has to take EKG and Phlebotomy and Clinical Lab Skills.

What does a Patient Care Technician do?

Patient Care Technicians provide basic healthcare to patients in hospitals or other medical facilities. They’ll keep the patients’ rooms clean, sanitized, and orderly each day. Patient Care Technicians will regularly visit patients to monitor their health and vital signs, administer medications prescribed by Nurses or Physicians, provide emotional support before and after treatments and assist patients in completing basic tasks like eating, using the restroom, or grooming themselves.

They’ll typically assist Physicians or Nurses during treatments and explain treatment methods and prescribed medications to the patient and their families. If the Patient Care Technician notices any changes in the patient’s health after the treatment, they’ll notify the Physician or Nurse.

Patient Care Technician duties and responsibilities

• Checking patients’ blood pressure, heartbeat and pulse regularly
• Providing compassionate care by listening to patients’ concerns and guiding them by answering any questions or concerns
• Monitoring patients’ conditions and providing updates to the healthcare team
• Turning, repositioning, and moving patients between beds, wheelchairs, and seats
• Helping patients use the bathroom and dress
• Monitoring patients’ food and liquid intake
• Escort patients to get X-rays and other imaging tests

Phlebotomy

This course prepares students to collect blood for laboratory analysis. Students learn medical terminology, basic anatomy and physiology, infection control safety, communication, and professionalism. Phlebotomy provides opportunities for students to perform routine vein punctures, routine capillary punctures, and special collection procedures. Phlebotomy technicians also perform glucose testing and specimen collection. A phlebotomist is a health care professional specially trained to draw blood. The blood is used to test for conditions based on a physician’s orders, although it can also be used for a transfusion, research, or donation. Some typical duties of phlebotomists include:

• Greeting blood draw patients and explaining the process to them
• Ensuring patients’ intake paperwork is correct and complete and that their identity is clear
• Calming patients if they are nervous
• For pediatric patients, preparing distractions, special toys, and smaller needles.
• Sterilizing and organizing all equipment according to procedures and protocols
• Conducting the blood draw
• Following all special instructions on patients’ order forms
• Labeling and adequately storing the sample
• Properly disposing of used needles and bandages
• Making sure the patient has no adverse reactions
• Inventorying equipment
• Sterilizing and cleaning the area for the next patient

Phlebotomists primarily draw blood, which is then used for different kinds of medical laboratory testing. In medical and diagnostic laboratories, patient interaction is sometimes only with the phlebotomist. Because all blood samples look the same, phlebotomists must carefully identify and label the sample they have drawn and enter it into a database. Some phlebotomists draw blood for other purposes, such as blood drives where people donate blood. To avoid causing infection or other complications, phlebotomists must keep their work area and instruments clean and sanitary.

Electrocardiograph

EKG technicians are healthcare professionals who perform diagnostic tests that help doctors identify cardiovascular problems in patients. The tests can help discover any irregularities in the heart that could lead to a heart attack or heart disease. They work primarily in hospitals but can also work in long-term specialty care facilities or private practices. The EKG technician explains the test to patients before conducting them. Once the patient is on the machine, the technician monitors heart performance and the patient’s blood pressure. Other duties include:

• Execute EKG services according to the hospital’s procedures
• Maintain EKG equipment and any required inventory needed to run tests
• Perform related administrative tasks, including recording results, filing, and data entry
• Attend additional training programs as required by the healthcare system, including safety procedures
• Perform and schedule EKG tests