There are many benefits to becoming a patient care technician in Louisiana.
If you feel this career path is the right one for you, check out the article below for more info.
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- Patient Care Technician Job Description and Duties in Louisiana
- Patient Care Technician Job Requirements in Louisiana
- Patient Care Technician Education in Louisiana
- Patient Care Technician Certification in Louisiana
- Patient Care Technician Employment and Salary in Louisiana
- Additional Information for Patient Care Technician in Louisiana
Patient Care Technician Job Description and Duties in Louisiana
While there aren’t any big differences between PCTs and CNAs, but you will not be supervised as a patient care tech.
You will complete many of the tasks alone.
During your work hours, you will help patients in the healthcare facility, but also their families and staff.
Your day to day job tasks 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
In Louisiana, you need to be listed in the Louisiana Nurse Aide Registry.
You should also be ready to perform additional job duties.
Patient Care Technician Job Requirements in Louisiana
If you want to work as a patient care tech, you need to send:
- Having a high school diploma or GED
- Having good communication skills
- Being detail-oriented
- Being compassionate
- Having a clean criminal background
- Being certified
- Having physical stamina
Keep in mind that you might need some extra skills.
To appear in the Registry, you will also have to pass an exam.
Patient Care Technician Education in Louisiana
The Louisiana Nurse Registry requires future patient care techs to develop their skills with a training program.
As numerous tasks don’t require supervision, you will need to have some particular skills.
The schools that offer patient care technician programs in Louisiana are
Top 15 Schools in Louisiana
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Central Louisiana Technical Community College | 516 Murray Street, Alexandria, Louisiana 71301 |
| Compass Career College | 42353 Deluxe Plaza, Suite 16, Hammond, Louisiana 70403 |
| Delgado Community College | 615 City Park Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70119 |
| Fletcher Technical Community College | 1407 Highway 311, Schriever, Louisiana 70395 |
| Healthcare Training Institute | 322 Williams Boulevard, Kenner, Louisiana 70062-7630 |
| Infinity College | 117 West Pinhook Rd, Lafayette, Louisiana 70501-8833 |
| Learning Bridge Career Institute | 1340 West Tunnel Boulevard, Houma, Louisiana 70360-2816 |
| Louisiana Delta Community College | 7500 Millhaven Rd, Monroe, Louisiana 71203 |
| Northshore Technical Community College | 65556 Centerpoint Blvd., Lacombe, Louisiana 70445 |
| Northwest Louisiana Technical College | 9500 Industrial Drive, Minden, Louisiana 71055-0000 |
| Nunez Community College | 3710 Paris Rd, Chalmette, Louisiana 70043 |
| River Parishes Community College | 925 West Edenborne Parkway, Gonzales, Louisiana 70737 |
| South Louisiana Community College | 1101 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, Louisiana 70506-4109 |
| SOWELA Technical Community College | 3820 Senator J. Bennett Johnston Ave, Lake Charles, Louisiana 70615 |
| Unitech Training Academy-West Monroe | 111 Crosley Street, Suite 4, West Monroe, Louisiana 71291 |
The PCT programs can last for some months, but some last for an entire year.
When the training is finished, you will receive your new certification.
But, if you choose to get an Associates’ degree, you will have to study for more than 2 years.
Such a degree will offer better job opportunities in the future.
The program will mix hours of theory with lab practice.
To join a PCT program in Louisiana, you have 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
As a patient care tech student, you’ll develop this kind of skills:
- 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 Louisiana
It is not difficult to get a patient care tech license in Louisiana.
You have to complete training, and pass the certification exam.
In order to take the NHA test, you need to:
- Be over the age of 18
- Have a high school diploma or GED
- Graduate from a specialized training program
- Pay the exam fee – $149
- Show proof of citizenship or nationality
- Submit a set of fingerprints
NHA requires at least 1 year of experience for those who did not complete a training program.
If you join a training program, you might have your tuition fees paid for by your school.
This patient care tech licensing exam lasts close to 2 hours and has 100 questions.
There are also 20 pre-test questions you need to answer.
Patient Care Technician Employment and Salary in Louisiana
In Louisiana, getting a patient care tech certification enables you to work in any healthcare facility, like:
- Hospitals,
- Clinics,
- Rehabilitation centers,
- Long term care and assisted living facilities,
- Hospices
- Home care
In Louisiana, the average salary for PCTs is around $32,666 per year.
But, wages can increase if you live in a large region and have additional credentials.
Annual Salary Range:Average Salary of Patient Care Technicians in Louisiana
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| New Orleans | $33,732 |
| Baton Rouge | $31,704 |
| Shreveport | $31,350 |
| Metairie | $33,732 |
| Lafayette | $31,328 |
| Lake Charles | $30,899 |
| Bossier City | $31,350 |
| Kenner | $33,714 |
| Monroe | $31,186 |
| Alexandria | $30,211 |
Regional Salary in Louisiana
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria, LA | 840 | $30,000 | $14.42 | $36,690 | $26,380 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 3,000 | $31,790 | $15.28 | $37,080 | $27,530 |
| Hammond, LA | 580 | $29,990 | $14.42 | $35,640 | $26,690 |
| Houma-Thibodaux, LA | 500 | $28,090 | $13.51 | $33,450 | $23,550 |
| Lafayette, LA | 1,650 | $28,470 | $13.69 | $34,320 | $23,270 |
| Lake Charles, LA | 570 | $29,470 | $14.17 | $35,960 | $22,090 |
| Monroe, LA | 910 | $28,850 | $13.87 | $38,070 | $22,580 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 3,960 | $33,130 | $15.93 | $42,400 | $26,960 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 2,180 | $31,790 | $15.28 | $44,870 | $25,920 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Additional Information for Patient Care Technician in Louisiana
Remember to have a look at the following career resources:
- Louisiana Nurse Aide Registry
- National Health Association
