Online Patient Care Technician Degrees
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Individuals interested in pursuing a career as a patient care technician have a bright future ahead of them. Due to technological advances in the medical industry, doctors are now able to see more patients in a short period of time, which is causing a need to hire an abundance of patient care technicians. These individuals have the option to specialize in administrative or clinical work but will have the opportunity to learn it all throughout their training. There are many different routes that interested individuals can take to pursue an education in this field such as associate degrees, vocational education, and on-site training. It all depends on what works best for the students and their schedule.
Patient care technicians do most of their work in hospitals, though some work in doctor's offices and clinics as well. Their main goal is to assist doctors and nurses in the daily care of patients. They help to make sure that everything is running efficiently. Their daily responsibilities vary depending on the type of establishment that they are employed by, but some common tasks include preparing medications, preparing patients for examinations, filling out insurance forms, and scheduling appointments.
The duties that patient care technicians complete on a daily basis are regulated by the state in which they live. These laws monitor how much direct contact they are able to have with patients. Patient care technicians can also work with many different types of doctors. In these situations, they must take some time to train to learn a bit more about their special field. Some examples of this include working with gynecologists, podiatrists, and ophthalmologists. The job of a patient care technician can sometimes be stressful, as they are expected to handle many different duties at one time. They typically work full time, or 40 hours per week, and may work in the evenings or on weekends.
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Career Specializations
- Administrative: These patient care technicians would spend primarily most of their time working performing administrative tasks. These duties include filling out insurance forms, correspondence, scheduling, and answering phones, among many others.
- Clinical: These individuals have more direct patient contact in the hospital or doctors' office. These duties include prepping patients for examinations, taking vital signs, administering basic laboratory tests, and sterilizing equipment.
Degree Levels
- Associate Degree: 2 years to complete
Education & Certification Requirements
There are many different paths that students can take with their education in order to become a patient care technician. They do have the option of training on the job, as long as they have their high school diploma or GED. They can also enter a vocational program, which will take one to two years. In addition to that, they can also receive an associate degree in patient care technician, which will take two years.
In addition to formal education, it is also very important that students pursue an internship and have experience in the field before they graduate from their vocational or associate program. The information that they learn while experiencing on-site training is vital to their future success as a patient care technician.
Certification for patient care technicians is voluntary; once students graduate from an accredited program, they are eligible to begin their career. Certification demonstrates to future employers that the student is competent in a particular set of skills. Certifications can be obtained through many different organizations; some examples are the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) and Association of Medical Technologists (AMT). (BLS)
Salary Information
For patient care technicians, the main elements that contribute to their salary include skill level, location, and experience. The average yearly income for patient care technicians is approximately $28K, as of May 2008. The top 10 percent earned more than $39K, and the bottom 10 percent earned less than $20K. (BLS)
Job Outlook
According to the United States Department of Labor, this industry is considered to be one of the fastest growing occupations in the 2008-2018 decade. The industry is projected to grow an addition 34 percent during this time frame. Individuals who have completed all educational requirements and certifications will have the best chance of obtaining the most desirable positions.
The large expansion in this industry is due to the fact that the medical industry as a whole is constantly evolving and developing new technology. Everyone within the industry must adapt to these new ways. Job growth is stimulated as more and more patient care technicians are employed, allowing doctors to see more patients. This growth also has to do with the needs of the aging population. (BLS)
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