How to Become a PCT in Vermont

The healthcare industry is one that constantly needs trained personnel.

This guide will inform you of the path individuals must take to become patient care technicians, PCTs for short, in Vermont.

Read on!

Patient Care Technician Job Description and Duties in Vermont

It’s important to know what a patient care tech does if you’re interested in such a position.

Certified nurse aides are commonly mistaken with PCTs.

However, the former need to work under supervision, while the latter does not.

These are the typical job duties and responsibilities of a patient care technician:

• 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

It shouldn’t even be mentioned that additional tasks may be completed, based on employer and patient.

Patient Care Technician Job Requirements in Vermont

Individuals from Vermont don’t have to meet too many pre-requisites to work as PCTs.

Most commonly, you have 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
• Be listed in the Vermont Nurse Aide Registry

Of course, each employer can add to this list, and having some experience is highly appreciated as well.

Patient Care Technician Education in Vermont

Many people agree that certification is only possible if you finished a specialized training course.

However, residents of Vermont will have to look for such a program elsewhere.

These are the types of credentials available to future PCTs:

• Certificate
• Associates’ degree
• Bachelors’ degree

The time you spend studying varies based on the type of diploma you want.

There are many people who choose the certificate because they only get to study for around a year.

The degrees take at least 2 years to obtain.

Each program has a limited number of spots made available.

You shouldn’t even try to enroll without:

• Having a clean criminal record
• Passing a drug screening test
• Passing a TB skin test
• Having the following vaccines done:
  • MMR
  • Varicella
  • Hepatitis B
  • Flu
  • Tetanus

All courses have some clinical lab classes included that you cannot miss if you want to graduate.

Here are some of the classes you’ll be having once enrolled:

• 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 Vermont

The certification preferred by the majority of employers is the one offered by the NHA.

For this, you’ll have to pass an exam that is close to 2 hours long.

Candidates for this test need to:

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

A year of related experience can substitute for the training program.

The test has 100 questions with 20 pre-test questions.

Patient Care Technician Employment and Salary in Vermont

Now that you passed the team, it’s time for you to find a job.

These are the main facilities PCTs work for:

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

PCTs in Vermont can earn an average salary of $32,885 a year.

in the larger cities like Burlington, Essex, or Rutland, median salaries are higher than the average at the state level.

Average Salary of Patient Care Technicians in Vermont

Vermont Salary by Metro Area

Additional Information for Patient Care Technician in Vermont

All the patient care techs in this state use these resources when they need more help:

• Vermont Nurse Aide Registry
• National Health Association
• Vermont State Board of Nursing