Patient care technician certification involves completing required programs of study and examinations to show a level of competency in the profession
Three specific areas of certification come under the auspices of patient care technician:
Certified Patient Care Technician (CPCT)
Certified Patient Care Associate (CPCA)
Certified Nurse Technician (CNT)
One examination encompasses the requirements for all three areas of certification. The National Healthcareer Association is a certification organization that serves to implement national competency standards to ensure patient safety. The organization is an information resource and support network for health care professionals and the health care industry.
They are the certification body that will administer the examination and issue the patient care technician certification. Contact them directly to find out about fees and the application process for the examination: http://www.nhanow.com/patient-care-technician.aspx
Patient Care Technician Certification Eligibility Requirements
In order to be eligible to take the examination the applicant must have a high school diploma or equivalency. The following are also requirements for the certification examination:
- Recently successfully completed a training program or have one year of work experience within the field. The on-the-job training with a self employed patient care technician might meet the requirement for this aspect but it is advisable to contact the certification board before taking a job in order to insure that it meets this requirement.
- Written proof of training or experience is mandatory. The primary purpose for certification is patient safety, so to that end it is in a candidates best interest to keep track of the work they perform and the skills they learn through an on the job training program. Although a candidate may obtain the patient care technician certification with 1 year of work experience only, this may not be sufficient to meet a specific state registration or licensure requirements. The state might require a candidate to complete a patient care technician training program. It is the candidate’s responsibility to check and verify the requirements for the state where they intend to work.
- The patient care technician is expected to comply with the established code of ethics. They must uphold standards of professionalism. Honesty and trust must be paramount for the patient care technician. They should conduct themselves in a manner that is in the best interest of the profession and the patient care technician certification organization. Patient care technicians who continue to learn will advance in their position and will help to increase the awareness about new and emerging procedures and trends. They must protect patient confidentiality in all activities and interactions with others professional health care or social services providers. Patients or clients must have full confidence and know that they can depend on the patient care technician not to disclose any harmful or erroneous information.
Why Patient Care Technician Certification?
To sum it up in one sentence: The profession is only as good as the people who work in it.
The guidelines established to gain the certification of CPCT/CPCA/CNT are meant to insure every patient care technician understands the essential elements of professionalism and ethics.
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The types of schools that offer patient care technician courses generally fall into three main categories: distance learning programs, internet programs and career schools. These are not exclusive categories. You can also get on the job training when you work with a self-employed patient care technician.
This table is a listing of mean (average) salaries. 
Hospitals are traditional settings for patient care technician jobs. In the emergency room, you can find a patient care technician working along with the rest of the medical team to assist with whatever medical need arises.
Traditional career schools are perhaps the most popular. These are the most familiar and usually offer their students a campus environment in some capacity.