Patient care technicians/assistants work under the supervision of nursing or medical staff to provide basic patient care in a variety of settings, including clinics, hospitals, urgent care medical facilities, wound care centers, nursing homes, home care agencies or long-term care facilities and physician’s offices.

Doctors, nurses and other health care professionals rely on patient care technicians/assistants to assist with the critical day-to-day care of patients.

The routine tasks of a PCT include:

• responding to patient calls and requests for assistance

• bathing and dressing patients

• assisting with personal hygiene

• serving meals

• monitoring/recording vital signs

PCTs are required to observe, record and report temperature, blood pressure, pulse, respiration rates, a patient’s physical, mental, and emotional condition.

A patient care technician must also be able to perform electrocardiograms (EKGs), collect blood samples (phlebotomy) and perform other clinical duties.