A patient care technician works in the medical field, but their focus is often more directly on serving the patient as opposed to the medical procedures and technology. Whereas in a position like a medical assistant, the job is partly working with patients, but it includes a lot of administrative tasks and medical tasks and procedures.
Patient care technicians are often thought about as working in places like nursing homes or long-term healthcare facilities because that is where there are patients they can care for long term. However, patient care technicians can also work in hospitals and even surgical centers to help prepare patients and operating rooms for surgery. Learn more about operating room or surgical patient care technicians below.
What is an Operating Room Patient Care Technician?
Nursing homes often employ patient care technicians, but people in this profession can also work in hospitals. There are a lot of places for patient care technicians in the hospital, but one of them is in the surgical wing or area. If you are working as a patient care technician in the surgical area, you will likely report to a registered nurse and assist them with tasks that need to be accomplished. You will perform tasks like checking on patients and recording health concerns, work with RNs to achieve patient outcomes, assist in organizing/transporting medication, prepare patients for surgery, and more.
Working in a hospital or even a surgical setting can be a more fast-paced and intense environment than some other places you might work as a patient care technician. If you are looking for an intense and focus-driven job option, you could find it in working as a patient care technician in a hospital. However, to become a patient care technician, you need specific skills and abilities as well as state certification. Learn more about what you need to be a patient care technician below.
Skills Necessary to Succeed as a PCT in this Setting
If you think working as an operating room patient care technician could be a good option for you, you need to see if you have the skills below. It takes a lot of knowledge and skills to do this type of work. Learn more about this right here.
- Medical Knowledge of Procedures – If you are working as a patient care technician in a surgical setting, it will be important that you have a basic knowledge of the procedures. This will help you care for your patient, and it will also help you assist doctors and nursing in preparing for the surgery.
- Attention to Safety – Safety is something that you will have to be very aware of. Your job is to look out for your patient and help prepare them for surgery, so be aware of any safety measures or precautions you need to take.
- Attention to Sanitization – As a patient care technician working in a hospital, you will sometimes be tasked with preparing and sanitizing the operating room. You will go through a checklist that is set out for you, and you will think about the needs the doctors or nurses may have during surgery.
- Organizational Skills – You may also be tasked with organizing medical supplies or other things when you work as a patient care technician in a hospital setting. You will need strong organizational skills to be good at this.
- Focus – Focus will also be very important. If you are preparing an operating room or getting a patient ready, you will need to have strong focus during a time of high intensity. Working in a hospital and surgical setting can be stressful and intense, you will need to remain focused and productive even during the most stressful of times.
- Care for Patients – When you are working in the surgical field as a patient care technician, you will still need to look out for your patient. Surgery can be scary and stressful, so try to offer your patients comfort. Something as simple as bringing them an extra blanket or pillow can make them feel better.
If you think that being a patient care technician could be a good job option for you, you should consider attending a patient care technician school. This schooling can teach you basic medical knowledge as well as the best ways to care for your patients. This program can be completed in six or seven months, and then, you could be in the world of work. You will need to complete your program and clinical as well as passing a certification exam, but after you have done that, you can apply for jobs as a patient care technician. Click here if you would like to learn more about this process.
For more information about graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit our website:
https://fvi.edu/consumer-information/.
