The Patient Care Technician program (incorporates Phlebotomy & EKG Technician) prepares individuals for a variety of job opportunities in the healthcare field. This program is generated to meet the needs of individuals and potential employers; this is accomplished by meeting the need for cross training of employees. The Patient Care Technician program is a cluster of planned, sequenced instruction to cross-train students for positions as advanced patient caregivers under the supervision of the registered nurse and or physician. The program expands the traditional role of the nursing assistant, providing a broad foundation of knowledge and skills to be applied to the care of the patients in hospitals, nursing homes, physicians’ offices, private homes, and other facilities. Graduates may also find employment in a number of settings such as long-term care/rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, off-site laboratories and clinics. Our graduates will be able to perform basic bedside nursing skills as well as the skills of phlebotomy, performing electrocardiograms (EKG), stress testing, and holter monitoring procedures. The program consists of didactic coursework with lab instruction and supervised/preceptor clinical internship activities. The EKG Technician program prepares individuals to perform confidently and efficiently in a job where they are responsible for performing diagnostic tests to assess the heart rhythm and rate in patients. The EKG Technician performs diagnostic tests related to the heart’s electrical impulses. The Phlebotomy Technician program prepares the individual by providing specialty cross-training in blood drawing techniques as well as basic bedside nursing skills. Students are introduced to the structure, function, and pathology of blood. They will learn and demonstrate clinical practice of blood drawing techniques. Upon successful completion of this competency-based program, students may be eligible to take State and/or National Certification Exams in Phlebotomy, Electrocardiogram (EKG) Technician, and/or Patient Care Technician. Requirements: The person registering for this course must have a High School Diploma/GED and a Georgia State Certification for Certified Nursing Assistant.