Patient Care Technician
Multi-skilled nursing assistants and orderlies perform basic patient care.
Introduction:
Patient care technicians or nursing assistants may care for patients in hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, and private homes. They have a broad range of duties including feeding, bathing, and walking patients, making beds, assisting patients in their daily living activities, drawing blood, and performing 12- lead electrocardiograms. The Patient Care Technician (PCT) program completion requires 600 hours or six months of training.
Career Opportunities:
- Patient Care Technician
- Nursing Assistant
- Patient Care Assistant
- Nursing Aides and Orderlies
- Home Health Aide
- Phlebotomist
- Electrocardiograph Aide
- Allied Health Assistant
Employment Outlook:
Employment of nursing assistants is projected to grow 11% percent from 2016 to 2026.
Salary:
The average wage for this career in Florida is $12.47 hourly or $25,900 annually.
Completion Requirements:
The entire program is 600 hours. Certain Adult Education Centers do not offer all components of the program. Full completion of the program may be completed at a Technical College. Students can earn a certificate at the completion of the following Occupational Completion Points (OCPs):
| OCP | COURSE | HOURS |
| OCP A | Basic Healthcare Worker | 90 Hours |
| OCP B | Nurse Aide and Orderly (Articulated) | 75 Hours |
| OCP C | Advanced Home Health Aide | 50 Hours |
| OCP D | Patient Care Assistant | 75 Hours |
| OCP E | Allied Health Assistant | 150 Hours |
| OCP F | Advanced Allied Health Assistant | 100 Hours |
| OCP G | Patient Care Technician | 60 Hours |
| Total Hours: 600 | ||
Source
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Nursing Assistants and Orderlies, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nursing-assistants.htm.