How to Become a Patient Care Technician: A Step-by-Step Guide
Do you have a high school diploma, an interest in the medical field, and a passion for helping others? Becoming a patient care technician could be a rewarding way to start and grow your healthcare career. Attend a patient care technician (PCT) program, learn all about direct care, get some clinical experience, and in less than a year, you could be ready for entry-level employment as a patient care technician. Here’s what you need to know to get started:
Step 1: Complete Your High School Diploma or GED
Before becoming a PCT, you need to get your high school diploma or GED. Your diploma ensures that you have the reading, writing, and math skills you need to understand medical instructions, record patient information accurately, and handle some basic calculations for patient care. High school science courses also introduce you to biology, which is relevant to healthcare.
Step 2: Enroll in a Patient Care Technician Training Program
Your PCT training program can take 6 to 12 months to complete and combines classroom instruction with hands-on clinical experience. Your studies teach you valuable concepts that you can apply to real healthcare settings:
- Patient care skills: How to help with daily activities, monitor vital signs, and assist with mobility
- Medical terminology and anatomy: Understanding the basics of how the body works and how to communicate effectively with healthcare professionals
- Clinical skills: How to properly collect lab samples, operate medical equipment, and assist with patient treatments
- Patient communication: How to talk to patients and their families in a clear, professional, and empathetic way
Step 3: Get Certified
Certification isn’t required, but it can make you more attractive to employers. Some common certifications include:
- AHA Basic Life Support for Healthcare provider
- EKG Technician
- Phlebotomy Technician
- Certified Patient Care Technician
Step 4: Get Hired as a Patient Care Technician
Once you complete your program, you can improve your chances of finding a job you’ll love by taking a few important steps:
- Build your resume, making sure to include your training and clinical experience
- Consider completing additional clinical hours through internships or volunteering
- Look on job boards like Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, SimplyHired, or temp agencies
- Check out area hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities to see if they’re hiring
- Prepare for your interviews with research on the organization and mock interviews
- Follow-up after with thank you notes and requests for next steps
- Seek out continued learning opportunities to increase your knowledge
- Network with your peers and instructors
Step 5: Consider a Patient Care Tech Specialization
Once you’ve gained some experience, you can specialize in areas like geriatrics, emergency care, or surgical assistance. With additional training or education, you might even decide to pursue another healthcare career like nursing.
What Does a Patient Care Technician Do?
As a patient care technician, you work under the supervision of doctors and nurses to provide direct care to patients. You help with daily tasks like bathing, dressing, eating, and moving around. You monitor vital signs, draw blood, collect lab samples, and give patients their medications. You keep your patients and their environment clean and safe. You might work in a hospital, nursing home, outpatient clinic, or even in home healthcare settings. It’s a job that requires a mix of technical skills and personal empathy and is essential in keeping patients comfortable and supported.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Patient Care Technician?
The process to become a PCT can take as little as seven months. Training typically involves a mix of classroom education and clinical hands-on practice, so you're prepared to work with real patients.
Are you ready to enter the healthcare field? Lincoln Tech offers a Patient Care Technician program in New Jersey at our Iselin, Moorestown, and Paramus campuses. It combines classroom instruction, hands-on training, and clinical experience to best prepare you for success. Complete the program in as little as 7 months and take advantage of career resources like job fairs and resume building. Fill out the form to get started today.