Search Results: Accredited Colleges Offering Patient Care Technician Degrees

A patient care technician provides critical support services to nurses and doctors in medical settings. Patient care technicians typically work directly with patients in hospital and clinic settings to offer assistance with their basic needs such as lifting objects, entering and exiting a bed or bathroom, and even personal care such as brushing their teeth. Patient care technicians typically have a great deal of direct contact with patients, and they also assist nurses with a variety of basic tasks, such as cleaning or monitoring a patient's needs and communicating directly with the nursing staff.

Patient care technicians occupy entry-level jobs within medical settings, and as such, they do not have extensive academic training. Most patient care technicians complete a program of study that focuses preparing them for employment. The length of study varies depending on the program. In some cases, a patient care technician will have an associate degree, but in many cases individuals enter programs directly from high school or a GED program.

Patient care technicians must possess excellent communication skills to work with ill and recovering patients. Programs teach students how to work in collaboration with nurses, doctors, and other hospital staff. They are also trained in basic emergency techniques such as first aid and CPR. While patient care technicians do not have direct responsibility for any patient's medical issues, they are key to providing comfort and support to patients during medical procedures or recovery.