How to Become a PCT in New York

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The healthcare industry is one in which you’re sure to find employment even with just a certification.

One position you could consider is that of a patient care technician, PCT for short, in New York.

Read this guide to find out what you need to do!

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Get information on Patient Care Technician programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information.

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Patient Care Technician Job Description and Duties in New York

One of the first things to know about this job is that it is very similar to that of a nursing assistant.

Most often than not, PCTs work without being supervised, unlike the nursing assistants.

Here’s a list of some of the duties you’re expected to complete:

  • 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

Obviously, these will change from patient to patient.

Patient Care Technician Job Requirements in New York

Everyone knows that each job has a specific set of skills a person must possess to get hired.

Candidates for a patient care tech position need to:

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

You can’t get hired if you’re not listed in the state’s Nurse Aide Registry.

Patient Care Technician Education in New York

Generally speaking, no certification is issued without the individual graduating from a training course.

New York has many schools to choose from with programs for PCTs, all listed below.

Top 18 Schools in New York

School NameAddress
ABC Training Center50 E Fordham Rd, Bronx, NY 10468
Access Institute8002 Kew Gardens Road, SC1, Kew Gardens, NY 11415
Access Careers474 Fulton Avenue, Suite 201 Hempstead, NY 11550
Bronx HHA and PCA free training2488 Grand Concourse Suite 329 Bronx, NY 10458
Brooklyn HHA and PCA free training833 Flatbush Avenue On Linden Blvd Brooklyn, NY 11226
Career Training Institute57th Street, New York, NY Westchester Ave, White Plains NY
Hostos Community College500 Grand Concourse, Bronx, New York 10451
Hudson Valley Career Training263 Route 17K, Suite 201 Newburgh, NY 12550
Kingsborough Community College2001 Oriental Boulevard, Brooklyn, NY 11235-2398
Medgar Evers College1650 Bedford Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11225
New Age Training145 West 30th Street 8th Floor New York, NY 10001
New York Medical Career Training Center500 8th Ave, 5th Fl B/W 35 & 36 Street, New York NY 10018
New York Medical Training Center36-09 Main Street 5th Floor Flushing, New York 11354
Phoenix Training Center540 East 180th Street Suite 201(2nd floor) Bronx New York 10457
Queens HHA and PCA free training91-31 Queens Blvd, Suite 409, Elmhurst, NY 11373
School of Allied Health545 8th Ave. New York, NY 10001
The Manhattan Institute255 Fith Avenue New York, New York 10016
York College94 - 20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11451

Attending a training program in a different state is also possible if these schools don’t offer the credential you want.

Certifications take about a year to obtain while an Associates’ degree, for instance, takes at least 2 years to complete.

All the programs also have clinical practice hours included.

As a student, you must attend all these practice hours if you want to graduate.

When enrolling in a course, you’ll usually be asked 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

Here are some of the classes you’ll attend, either as theory, practice, or a combination of both:

  • 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 New York

Those seeking certification will have to pass the certification examination.

The National Healthcare Association (or shortly NHA) offers the best certificate for a patient care tech.

Individuals will have to sign up to take the test.

These are the conditions to register for the exam:

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

NHA accepts in some cases the replacement of the education with 1 year of experience in the field.

You should ask your school if the exam fee is included in the tuition, to avoid paying it twice.

The exam itself has a duration of close to 2 hours and you must answer a total of 120 questions.

Patient Care Technician Employment and Salary in New York

Studying the working conditions in the facility you’ll be working, will give you a better idea of your life as a PCT.

These are the facilities where PCTs are employed by the most:

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

In New York, salaries are generally higher than in other states.

The average salary of a patient cate technician in New York is $36,000 per year.

While the highest salary is possibly earned in New York City, other cities also offer the possibility of better pay.

Annual Salary Range:
$30K
$36K
$47K

Average Salary of Patient Care Technicians in New York

City NameSalary
New York$41,081
Hempstead$37,437
Brookhaven$37,233
Islip$37,301
Oyster Bay$39,008
Buffalo$32,657
Babylon$37,301
Rochester$33,663
Huntington$39,008
Yonkers$39,362
* Salary information last updated 2024

Regional Salary in New York

RegionEmployedAvg. Annual SalaryAvg. Hourly PayTop 10% Annual SalaryBottom 10% Annual Salary
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY3,750$36,240$17.42$43,040$31,710
Binghamton, NY1,310$33,770$16.23$38,750$31,200
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY4,220$36,030$17.32$42,430$30,340
Elmira, NY450$34,470$16.57$39,630$29,470
Glens Falls, NY550$37,010$17.79$42,570$30,120
Ithaca, NY340$36,290$17.45$43,430$32,060
Kingston, NY360$36,910$17.75$41,810$31,200
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA79,570$44,720$21.5$52,270$36,280
Rochester, NY5,090$37,270$17.92$44,310$30,490
Syracuse, NY2,880$37,020$17.8$44,080$31,290
Utica-Rome, NY1,360$35,160$16.9$42,340$30,180
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY240$33,450$16.08$37,380$29,520
* Salary information based on the May 2022 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Nursing Assistants, OCC Code 31-1131, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

Additional Information for Patient Care Technician in New York

These are some resources that can help you when you need extra information for instance, about the exam dates:

  • New York Nurse Aide Registry
  • Bureau of Professional Credentialing
  • National Health Association
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