How to Become a PCT in Tennessee

Do you want to work as a PCT in Tennessee?

You will surely find a job in this state, but first, you need to have more info.

So, read on below!

Patient Care Technician Job Description and Duties in Tennessee

There are several job tasks that as a PCT, you have to perform every single day.

The main job responsibility you will have is to assist patients, staff, and the family of the patients in the clinic.

As a patient care tech, you should be ready to fulfill other job duties as asked by the employer.

Your daily tasks will include:

• Bathing and feeding the patients
• Catheter care
• Maintaining patient rooms clean
• Vital sign monitoring
• Performing phlebotomy procedures
• Talking to the patients’ families
• Escorting patients to various places for further investigations

As a rule, patient care techs work without being supervised, unlike CNAs.

So, you will need to complete training and develop the skills you will need for the job.

Patient Care Technician Job Requirements in Tennessee

If you want to work as a patient care tech in Tennessee, you first need to show you:

• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Have good communication skills
• Are detail-oriented
• Are compassionate
• Have a clean criminal background
• Are certified
• Have physical stamina

In Tennessee, you are required to enlist on the state’s Nurse Aide Registry as well, before getting hired.

Some employers could prefer someone with some previous experience.

Patient Care Technician Education in Tennessee

In order to get to work as a patient care technician, you will need to find a training school first.

So, you should look for a facility that provides training programs in your area.

In Tennessee, some of the schools providing patient care technician programs include:

You can expect the program to last for several months.

You can also find programs that last for longer, like a couple of years or some.

For instance, if you get into an Associate’s degree program you will study for about 2 to 4 years.

Although you might be in school longer, you will also get better credentials if you attend such a program.

To attend a program, you need to:

• Have a clean criminal record
• Passed a drug screening test
• Passed a TB skin test
• Have the following health immunizations done:
  • MMR
  • Varicella
  • Hepatitis B
  • Flu
  • Tetanus

The courses you will attend feature theory hours, but also lab practice.

The subjects you will take are:

• Providing patient safety
• Providing basic care
• Medical terminology and abbreviations
• Basic infection control procedures and techniques
• The structure and function of body systems
• Identifying and reporting changes in the patient’s condition
• Monitoring and recording bodily functions
• CPR
• First aide techniques
• Drawing blood
• Inserting catheters

Patient Care Technician Certification in Tennessee

To get a certification, first, you should pass the NHA exam.

To attend the exam, you have to:

• Are over the age of 18
• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Graduated from a specialized training program
• Paid the exam fee – $149
• Showed proof of citizenship or nationality
• Submitted a set of fingerprints

If you attended a program, you don’t need to have any additional experience.

But, if you didn’t join a training program, you will need to have a year of experience in the industry.

The certification exam has 100 questions and you will also have to answer 20 pre-test questions.

Patient Care Technician Employment and Salary in Tennessee

It will be easy to get your first job after you get certified.

You will be able to work in facilities such as:

• Hospitals,
• Clinics,
• Rehabilitation centers,
• Long term care and assisted living facilities,
• Hospices
• Home care

In Tennessee, the median salary for this position is around $31,000 a year, as the table below shows.

Salaries can be higher in these cities, but not only:

• Nashville
• Hendersonville
• Memphis

Regional Salary in Tennessee

Additional Information for Patient Care Technician in Tennessee

Have a look at the following sites for extra resources:

• Tennessee Nurse Aide Registry
• National Health Association