Patient Care Technician Skills
By: Joann Owens, Nurse turned Medical Writer
August 2023
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicted healthcare jobs to grow by 13 percent between 2022 and 2032. If you're considering a job in this industry, you may want to consider becoming a patient care technician (PCT).
What Does a Patient Care Technician Do?
A patient care technician is a vital member of the healthcare team. Under the supervision of a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare professional, a PCT provides basic care to patients.
Some of the common duties of a PCT include:
- Checking the patient's vital signs
- Collecting laboratory samples such as blood or urine
- Delivering samples to the laboratory
- Assisting patients during exercise
- Acting as a liaison during family visits
- Helping patient with mobility problems into their wheelchairs
- Helping patients in getting in and out of their beds
- Tracking the patient's progress during therapy
What are the Skills Needed to Become a Patient Care Technician?
In order to become a successful patient care technician, you will need the following:
Communication Skills
As a PCT, you will be communicating with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals on a regular basis. On top of that, you will also be acting as a liaison during family visits. Hence, to provide the best possible care for your patient, you need to develop effective communication skills and learn how to work well with others.
You can develop these skills by attending conferences, taking part in role-playing activities during training, and regularly seeking feedback from your colleagues.
You can develop these skills by attending conferences, taking part in role-playing activities during training, and regularly seeking feedback from your colleagues.
Physical Stamina
A PCT's job can be physically demanding. You're on your feet most times of your day, assisting and helping patients who can't do certain things on their own. To last in this job, you have to have strength and physical stamina.
Eating healthy, getting regular exercise, and having enough rest/sleep can help improve your endurance and strength.
Technical Skills
Skills like taking the vital signs, handling lab specimens, administering EKGs, and doing basic wound care are essential in a PCT's line of work. Knowing how to do these things properly can help you succeed in your job.
Most of these skills are taught in a PCT training program.
Soft Skills
Being empathetic and patient allows you to provide the right care and assistance for your patients when they need it. Learning what it takes to work with a team can make you a great asset in the organization.
Where Can You Work as a PCT?
Patient Care technicians can work in any healthcare setting or wherever patients are seen by doctors and nurses. This can be in hospitals, doctor's offices, surgery centers, assisted living centers, rehabilitation centers, or hospices.
To sum it all up, the skills you need as a PCT are communication, physical, technical, and soft skills. Many of these skills are taught in a PCT program and most are honed through experience and mentorship.
Your duties as a PCT can vary, depending on your workplace
You may work in a hospital, doctor's office, rehabilitation center, and basically anywhere where patients are seen by doctors and nurses.
If working and caring for patients is something you'd like to do, becoming a PCT is a great career choice. With US Career Institutes Online Patient Care Technician Program you can start working towards a new career today!
