Health Occs Chapter 1 and Chapter 3 Hartman

Patient care technicians (PCTs)

Skilled healthcare workers who perform assigned tasks such as measuring vital signs, providing personal care, drawing blood, conducting EKGs, and performing bedside tests under nurse supervision.

Primary workplace for PCTs

Hospitals and inpatient settings, where more than half of all PCTs are employed.

Core PCT Patient Care Duties

Assisting with bathing, grooming, elimination, transferring patients, ambulation, vital signs, drawing blood, and conducting EKGs.

Point-of-care test

A medical test performed directly at a patient's bedside, such as a fingerstick blood glucose test.

Why PCT observation and reporting is vital

Because PCTs spend most of their time working directly with patients, making them the "eyes and ears" of the care team.

PCT vs. Nursing Assistant (NA) differences

NAs usually work in long-term care and do not typically draw blood, conduct EKGs, or remove IVs unless specially trained.

PCT vs. Medical Assistant (MA) differences

MAs usually work in doctors' offices and clinics and often handle administrative tasks like payment collection and insurance claims, whereas PCTs focus on direct patient care.

Inpatient settings

Healthcare facilities, such as traditional hospitals and specialty centers, where patients spend at least one night receiving care.

Outpatient settings

Facilities like medical offices, urgent care clinics, and same-day surgery centers where patients arrive, receive care, and leave on the same day.

Assisted living facilities

Residences providing help with daily care (such as meals and grooming) for people who do not need 24-hour skilled nursing care.

Home health care

Care provided in a person's home for older, chronically ill individuals or those recovering after a hospital stay.

Care team

An interdisciplinary group of healthcare professionals with diverse education and experience who work together to care for a patient.

Registered nurse (RN)

A licensed healthcare professional who coordinates and manages skilled nursing care, administers medications and treatments, and supervises daily care by PCTs.

Licensed practical nurse (LPN) / Licensed vocational nurse (LVN)

A licensed professional who completes 1-2 years of education, passes a licensure exam, and administers medications and treatments.

Advanced practice registered nurse (APRN)

An RN with postgraduate education (master's or doctoral) who can diagnose diseases and prescribe treatments (e.g., nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists).

Physician or doctor (MD or DO)

A licensed professional who diagnoses diseases or disabilities and prescribes treatments and medications.

Physician assistant (PA)

A licensed healthcare professional with a master's degree who works with doctors to diagnose diseases, develop treatment plans, and prescribe medications.

Pharmacist (RPh)

A licensed professional with a doctoral degree who prepares and dispenses prescribed medications and ensures medication safety.

Physical therapist (PT or DPT)

A licensed professional who evaluates patients and develops treatment plans to restore mobility, increase strength, reduce pain, and promote healing.

Occupational therapist (OT)

A licensed professional who helps patients adapt to disabilities and learn to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) using assistive devices.

Activities of daily living (ADLs)

Basic personal care tasks such as bathing, dressing, eating, grooming, and elimination.

Speech-language pathologist (SLP)

A licensed professional who identifies communication disorders, teaches speech recovery exercises, and evaluates swallowing ability.

Registered dietitian (RD) or registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN)

A professional who assesses nutritional status and creates specialized diets and treatment plans to manage illness.

Medical social worker (MSW)

A licensed professional who determines patient needs and connects them with support services like counseling, financial assistance, and transportation.

Person-centered care

Care that places the patient's well-being first and respects their individual preferences, choices, and dignity.

Chain of command

The line of authority in a facility that ensures proper care delivery and protects employees and employers from liability.

Liability

A legal term meaning someone can be held legally responsible for harming someone else.

Scope of practice

The roles, responsibilities, and procedures legally allowed within the training and definition of a profession; varies by state and facility.

Delegation

Transferring responsibility for a specific task to another person; nurses delegate tasks to PCTs, who do not delegate tasks themselves.

Five Rights of Delegation

A checklist for nurses consisting of: Right Task, Right Circumstance, Right Person, Right Direction/Communication, and Right Supervision/Evaluation.

Professionalism

Behaving properly on the job, including appropriate dress, punctuality, following care plans, and maintaining confidentiality.

Policy

A course of action that must be taken every time a specific situation occurs in a facility.

Procedure

A specific method or way of performing a task.

Compassionate

Being caring, concerned, considerate, empathetic, and understanding toward others.

Empathy

Identifying with and understanding the feelings of others.

Sympathy

Sharing in the feelings and difficulties of others.

Honest

Being truthful and trustworthy, which is vital for patient care planning and record-keeping.

Tactful

Showing sensitivity and appropriateness when dealing with others to avoid causing offense.

Conscientious

Being guided by a sense of right and wrong to remain alert, observant, accurate, and responsible.

Dependable

Making and keeping commitments, reporting to work on time, and performing assigned tasks skillfully.

Organized

Managing time well by planning ahead, prioritizing tasks, and making a schedule.

Patient (personal quality)

Remaining calm, not losing one's temper easily, and avoiding rushing or showing annoyance toward patients.

Respectful

Valuing other people's individuality, culture, beliefs, and preferences while treating them politely and kindly.

Unprejudiced

Giving every patient the same high-quality care regardless of age, gender, race, religion, background, or condition.

Proactive

Anticipating potential problems and needs before they occur rather than simply reacting afterward.

Professional appearance guidelines

Daily bathing, short clean nails, no artificial nails, hair pulled back, wearing a clear ID badge, and a clean, wrinkle-free uniform.

PCT certification requirements

Completing an approved training program, holding a high school diploma or GED, and passing a national certification exam.

Benefits of PCT certification

High employer demand, validation of professional knowledge, and improved career opportunities.

Continuing education (CE)

Annual training required for certified PCTs to maintain their professional certification.

Additional PCT certifications

Specialized credentials a PCT can earn in areas such as phlebotomy or electrocardiography (EKG)

Associate's degree

A two-year course of study awarded by a career/technical school or a community college.

Bachelor's degree

A degree awarded by a college or university after a prescribed course of study that usually lasts for four or more years.

Master's degree

A degree awarded by a college or university after completion of one or more years of work beyond a bachelor's degree.

Doctorate or doctoral degree

A degree awarded by a college or university after completion of two or more years of work beyond a bachelor's or master's degree.

Certification

Means that a person has fulfilled requirements of education and performance and meets standards established by a professional association or government agency.

Registration

Performed by a regulatory body that administers examinations and maintains a current list ("registry") of qualified personnel.

Licensure

A process whereby a government agency authorizes individuals to work in a given occupation and clearly defines the scope of practice.

Continuing education units (CEUs)

Additional hours of education required during a specified period to renew licenses or maintain certification or registration.

Multicompetent or multiskilled worker

A worker hired to perform a variety of health care skills across different specialties to help reduce health care costs.

Entrepreneur

An individual who organizes and manages a business and assumes its risks.

Endodontics

Dental specialty focused on the treatment of diseases of the pulp, nerves, blood vessels, and roots of the teeth (root canal treatment).

Orthodontics

Dental specialty focused on the alignment or straightening of the teeth.

Oral Surgery

Dental specialty involving surgery on the teeth, mouth, jaw, and facial bones (maxillofacial surgery).

Pedodontics

Dental specialty focused on the dental treatment of children and adolescents.

Periodontics

Dental specialty focused on the treatment and prevention of diseases of the gums, bone, and supporting structures of the teeth.

Prosthodontics

Dental specialty focused on the replacement of natural teeth with artificial teeth or dentures.

First responder

The first person to arrive at the scene of an illness or injury who provides basic emergency medical care and calls for assistance.

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

Personnel trained to provide emergency, prehospital care to victims of accidents, injuries, or sudden illnesses.

Perfusionists (Extracorporeal circulation technologists)

Members of open-heart surgical teams who operate the heart-lung machines used during coronary bypass surgery.

Dialysis technicians

Workers who operate the kidney hemodialysis machines used to treat patients with limited or no kidney function.

Cardiovascular technologist

Diagnostic specialist who assists with cardiac catheterization, angioplasty, and monitoring patients during open-heart surgery.

Electroencephalographic (EEG) technologist

Worker who operates an electroencephalograph to record electrical activity of the brain to diagnose neurological disorders.

Phlebotomist

Diagnostic worker whose primary duty is to collect blood samples and prepare them for testing.

Radiologic technologist

Worker who uses X-rays, radiation, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance to diagnose and treat disease.

Epidemiologist

Health informatics professional who identifies and tracks diseases as they occur in a group of people and develops methods to control epidemics.

Medical coder (Coding specialist)

Worker who identifies diagnoses and procedures in patient records and assigns specific codes (such as ICD or CPT codes) for billing and research.

Medical transcriptionist

Worker who uses a computer and software to enter data dictated by physicians, such as surgical reports and consultation findings.

Biomedical (clinical) engineer

Support services professional who combines engineering and biology to design, build, and maintain advanced medical equipment and technology.

Biomedical equipment technician (BET)

Support services worker who installs, tests, services, and repairs medical diagnostic, treatment, and monitoring equipment.

Forensic science technician

Biotechnology professional who investigates crimes by collecting and analyzing physical evidence.

Entry-level education

The minimum level of formal schooling or degree required to qualify for an entry-level position in a specific occupation.

Postsecondary nondegree award

A certificate or credential earned through a technical school or community college program (taking weeks to a year) without earning a formal 2-year or 4-year degree.

Primary driver of healthcare industry growth

An aging population, specifically the large "Baby Boomer" generation reaching older age, which increases the demand for medical services, chronic disease management, and long-term care.

Benefit of a multi-tiered healthcare team

It allows each professional to work at the top of their legal scope of practice (e.g., physicians handle complex diagnostics, RNs coordinate care, and Medical Assistants handle vitals and administrative intake), enhancing efficiency and patient safe