Are you considering pursuing a career as a patient care tech? Here are compelling reasons to become a patient care technician.
If you’re an ambitious person stuck in a dead-end job, motivated by the need to care for others, then you may want to consider becoming a patent care technician. Patient care technicians are very needed in the healthcare field as they serve to look after those who are sick or injured.
Plus, patient care is a growing field within healthcare that opens many fulfilling opportunities, including making a real difference. If you’re wondering more about why you should become a patient care technician, we’ve laid out five compelling reasons below that are sure to persuade you.
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Fast Training Time
Perhaps you’re someone who doesn’t have the time nor the money to invest in years of schooling. With school increasingly becoming more expensive, nobody would blame you. However, you’re in luck.
Patient care technicians can be trained and certified in LESS than one year! Though there are more extended programs, several nursing programs only require 603 hours of training, which many trainees can complete this in less than one year.
If you’re looking towards a specific program, check out some of the Ultimate Medical reviews to find one that’s right for you.
The programs teach you home health skills, how to measure vitals, and primary care for patients. Also, most of the courses can be offered in the evenings and on weekends, so you don’t need to quit your current line of work.
Once you’re trained, you will have the option of working either in a nursing home, a hospital, or any other healthcare facility.
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Positive Job Outlook
If job security is one of your main concerns when searching for new career opportunities, look no further. Patient care technicians have very high job outlooks, and it is expected to continue rising.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, patient care technician jobs are predicted to have a 17% growth in demand from 2014-2024. Compared to jobs in other fields, this is some speedy job growth.
Even better, this means that if you’re looking to get into the field, there are plenty of patient care technician jobs available. You can be comforted by the fact that these jobs are not going away, even in an unpredictable or upside-down economy, patient care technicians will always be needed. This is a relatively recession-proof career choice.
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Flexible Scheduling
Another attractive benefit of becoming a patient care technician is the flexible work hours and schedule. For most careers, it can be incredibly hard to balance family and work life, but it’s made simple for patient care technicians.
As a patient care technician, you can set your schedule. Because healthcare is “on” 24/7, you can choose to work either night or day shifts. This is a valuable benefit. If you have young children, you may prefer to work night-shifts so you can spend time during the day with them. If your children are at school during the day, you can choose to work while they are in school and spend time with them at night.
There’s also been growing popularity and recent support for the idea of four-day workweeks. Supposedly, it can help improve the quality of life, increase productivity, and overall happiness.
If preferred, patient care technicians can work 3-4 twelve-hour shifts, giving them the rest of the week off. For balancing work and family life, this can be hugely helpful.
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Provides Valuable Work Experience
If you haven’t ever worked in the healthcare field and you’re looking to gain substantial work experience, working as a patient care technician can provide you with just that. Because it doesn’t require a lot of training time, you can easily use this job as a stepping stone for other work in the healthcare field. Even if you aren’t sure about the exact direction, this career allows you to network with other healthcare workers, potentially opening up more opportunities.
For example, in many of the training courses, you are given hands-on experience that can help show you where your skills best align within the industry. It can help clear up career uncertainty and show you other jobs that you were unaware of.
Another bonus is that some of the courses and training necessary to become a patient care technician may count for future courses or training if you look to continue in the healthcare industry. This can allow you to climb the ladder quickly and give you head-start over other students without any healthcare experience.
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Patient Care Technicians Change Lives
Last but not least, patient care technicians have the opportunity to directly impact and change lives through their care. Essential to the healthcare system, patient care technicians provide care and essential functioning for patients during difficult and stressful times.
For some injured and sick patients, family and friends may be far away or unable to visit. Though not family, patient care technicians can provide positive support and encouragement to these patients. They can form real relationships with patients while they are going through treatment.
Patient care technicians may be tasked with cleaning or bathing patients or helping them get dressed. Though simple, these tasks mean the world to patients and put huge smiles on their faces. This aspect of the job would be perfectly suited for those who are altruistically motivated.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’re feeling stuck in your current line of work, becoming a patient care technician might just be your next career. Even if you’re just looking to get your foot in the door, you can develop beneficial skills and connections as a patient care technician that you can build off for years to come.
In less than a year of training, you can be providing patients with critical care and be impacting the lives of countless individuals. With great job security and flexible hours, you can build a balanced and stable career for both yourself and your family.
So what are you waiting for? Start finding training courses near you today!
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