Skills You Need to Become a Great Patient Care Technician

Providing basic and direct care to patients daily takes a lot of dedication, patience and compassion. As a patient care technician, you will help patients with procedures such as taking vital signs, performing electrocardiography (ECG), blood draws, dialysis and other needs, including bedside care. In order to be successful in this field, we recommend you possess these 4 skills below.

1. Learn from experienced instructors who will provide you with the hands-on learning you’ll need to be successful.

   Interpersonal skills. Communication is a big part of this healthcare career, as patient care technicians have to talk to doctors, nurses and any other professionals on the medical team as well as the patient’s family and friends. In order to effectively care for your patients, it’s crucial that you communicate and work well with others.

2. Strength and physical endurance. Patient care technicians often act as the patient’s primary care giver, making them responsible for assisting with the daily activities they are no longer able to perform. You will be on your feet a lot and there will be times you have to move, lift, or transport patients who have trouble moving.
3. Technical skills. During the patient care technician program, you learn how to measure vital signs, handle lab specimens, administer EKGs, perform dialysis, conduct catheterizations, saline locks and wound care procedures, administer first aid and more. Our PCT training program provides you hands-on training so that when you get out into the workforce, you have all the experience you need to complete these responsibilities successfully.
4. Soft skills. Patience, empathy and the ability to work with others makes a great patient care technician. Empathy and patience will allow you to become more intuitive to know when a patient needs assistance. Putting yourself in their shoes, helps you think from their perspective. It will also help you work well with the patient, their family and the healthcare team.

Students will have the opportunity to gain knowledge and experience with procedures used in the emergency room, as well as procedures like phlebotomy, electrocardiography (ECG) and hemodialysis. If you’d like to become part of a rewarding healthcare team and begin helping others quickly, consider our eight-month patient care technician program at Pima Medical Institute.