Become a Patient Care Technician
Patient care technicians play a critical role at healthcare facilities, assisting with inpatient treatment and helping provide quality of life. The 100% online course will prepare you to work as a patient care technician.
Job Outlook for Patient Care Technician
- The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that patient care professionals, including nursing assistants and orderlies, earn a median annual salary of $28,000.
- The BLS also estimates that job opportunities in the patient care field will grow by 8% by 2028.
FAQs about Patient Care Technicians
Patient care technicians help care for patients in healthcare facilities, which include hospitals, medical offices, and long-term care facilities. Specific patient care duties may include:
- Helping patients get in and out of bed
- Assisting with patients or mobility
- Tracking patient progress
- Listening to patient concern and communicating these to the primary care provider
- Checking vital signs and collecting samples
Essentially, patient care technicians and nursing aids perform the same duties in a healthcare setting. However, patient care technicians may also work under doctors and physical therapist in addition to nurses.
Course Objectives
- Introduction to patient care, legal issues in healthcare, standard precautions and infection control
- Medical terminology, physical examination, patient positioning, bed mobility, range of motion
- Therapeutic exercises, gait, assistive devices, orthosis and prosthesis, transfer techniques
- Wound care and pressure sores, wheelchair management, patient care competency, special topics
Prerequisites and Requirements
There are no prerequisites to take the course.
Curriculum
- Introduction to patient care
- Infection control and standard precaution
- Legal issues in healthcare
- Introduction to anatomy and physiology
- Medical terminology
- Physical assessment and examination
- Patient positioning and bed mobility techniques
- Range of motion
- Therapeutic exercises
- Gait
- Assistive devices
- Orthosis and prosthesis
- Transfer techniques
- Wound care and pressure sores
- Wheelchair management
- Patient care competency
- Special topics
Instructors
Jacqueline Garcia is a certified postsecondary professional instructor (CPPI), specializing in patient care education. Beyond actively training future patient care technicians, she develops academic content and curriculum for a number of programs.
Registration and Enrollment
This course is 100% online. Start anytime.
