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2020 - 2021 Patient Care
- Effective September 1, 2020, to August 31, Technician Supplement Catalog
- Welcome to the Patient Care Technician Program Supplement!................................. Table of Contents
- Overview................................................................................................................
- Patient Care Technician Program Goals and Objectives......................................
- Technical Standards..............................................................................................
- Academic Policies...............................................................................................
- Add/Drop Policy............................................................................................
- Attendance and Participation.......................................................................
- Clinical and Laboratory Class Attendance Requirements...................................
- Clinical Attendance Policy............................................................................
- Laboratory Attendance Policy......................................................................
- Clinical/Laboratory Tardiness Policy............................................................
- Class Hours..................................................................................................
- Credit for Prior Learning..............................................................................
- Graduation Requirements............................................................................
- Passing Grade..............................................................................................
- Repeating Courses..............................................................................................
- Transfer Credit.............................................................................................
- Clinical Requirements and Responsibilities........................................................
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certification....................................
- Clinical Clearance Requirements.................................................................
- Criminal Background Check.................................................................
- Health Requirements............................................................................
- Malpractice Insurance...........................................................................
- Latex Sensitivity...........................................................................................
- Student Rights and Responsibilities....................................................................
- Confidentiality...............................................................................................
- Dress Code..................................................................................................
- Informed Consent.........................................................................................
- Professionalism............................................................................................
Welcome to the Patient Care Technician
Program Supplement!
It is a pleasure to welcome you to Berkeley College. We are glad that you have chosen us to assist you in attaining your educational goals. Everyone at the College wishes you an enjoyable and productive academic year.
This Patient Care Technician Healthcare Supplement is intended to clarify policies and procedures specific to the Patient Care Technician program. The policies in this Healthcare Supplement supersede any conflicting statements made by faculty, administrators, the general Berkeley College Student Handbook, and the Undergraduate Catalog. The Patient Care Technician Supplement is updated regularly. You are urged to provide us with recommendations and suggestions for future revisions by communicating your ideas to Student Development and Campus Life.
The faculty of the School of Health Studies is committed to guiding and assisting you in your academic career. You, in turn, have a responsibility to familiarize yourself with the policies and procedures of the College.
Once again, let me extend my sincerest welcome from the entire Berkeley College community. We look forward to assisting you in reaching your goals!
Sincerely,
Gabriel Holder, M.D., RMA, CCMA, CBCS Department Chair, Medical Assistant; Medical Insurance, Billing, and Coding; and Patient Care Technician Programs
Patient Care Technician Program Goals and
Objectives
The Patient Care Technician (PCT) program provides students with the knowledge and clinical skills necessary to enter the healthcare field as patient care technicians in hospitals, community health facilities, and the patient’s primary residence. Patient care technicians work with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to oversee and monitor patients. As vital members of the healthcare team, they provide direct patient care and comfort measures, take patients’ vital signs, collect specimens, and much more.
The objectives of the PCT program are to:
- Reading and Written Communication: Students will demonstrate competent writing and reading throughout their programs of study.
- Oral Communication: Students will demonstrate effective oral communication skills in both general and major-specific contexts.
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning: Students will use critical analysis and reasoning, supported by knowledge and skills learned throughout their degree programs, to enhance personal and professional decision making: # (^) Quantitative analysis and reasoning # (^) Analysis and reasoning in the humanities, sciences, social sciences, and arts # (^) Ethical analysis and reasoning # (^) Reasoning in career-related contexts
- Knowledge and Skills for Living in a Diverse Society: Students will consider multiple perspectives (quantitative and qualitative, among individuals, from different cultural contexts, etc.) when making decisions independently or as part of a team.
- Information Literacy: Students will define and articulate their needs for information and access this information effectively and efficiently.
- Integration of Learning: Students will develop the ability to integrate their learning, making connections within their major, between fields, between curricular and co- curricular activities, and between academic knowledge and practice.
- Provide students with a solid foundation in general sciences to provide safe and effective care across the life span to patients in a variety of healthcare settings.
- Provide students with the knowledge and skills to work collaboratively with members of the healthcare team to provide patient care and manage medical emergencies.
- Ensure students enter the workforce as qualified and technically skilled healthcare professionals in the ever-changing healthcare environment.
- Provide students with the knowledge and skills required for pursuing professional certification offered in the field including certified patient care technician (CPCT), certified electrocardiography technician (CET), and/or certified phlebotomy technician (CPT).
- Educate students regarding the ethical, legal, and professional principles of the healthcare profession and the scope of their practice as a patient advocate.
- Instruct students to employ HIPAA, OSHA, Standard Precautions, and other infection control measures in the healthcare setting.
- Prepare students to effectively interact with patients, families, and members of the healthcare team in a therapeutic and professional manner.
Hearing Auditory ability sufficient for physical monitoring and assessment of patient healthcare needs
- Hear normal speaking level sounds
- Detect sounds related to bodily functions with the use of a stethoscope or detect audible alarms generated by mechanical equipment used to monitor patient’s physiologic status
- Detect signs of fire and initiate emergency actions
- Hear call bells and/or cries for help
Smell Olfactory ability sufficient to detect significant patient and environmental odors
- Detect odors of bodily fluids, such as foul smelling drainage, spoiled foods, or smoke from burning materials
- Detect smoke
Tactile Tactile ability sufficient for physical monitoring and assessment of healthcare needs
- Tactile ability to detect unsafe temperature levels of solutions or heat- producing devices used in patient care
- Tactile ability to detect anatomical abnormalities like edema, swelling, or nodules and masses
- Feel vibrations such as palpable pulse, feel differences in size and shape needed to identify bodily landmarks or skin surface signs such as rash or skin turgor
Communication Oral communication skills sufficient to communicate in English with accuracy, clarity, and efficiency with patients, their families, and other members of the healthcare team, including non-verbal communication such as interpretation of facial expressions, affect, and body language
- Communicate clearly with patients and their families, and members of the healthcare team
- Give verbal directions to, or follow verbal directions from, other members of the healthcare team and participate in healthcare team discussions of patient care
- Recognize and report critical patient information to other caregivers
Gross Motor Skills Gross motor skills sufficient to provide the full range of safe and efficient patient care activities
- Gather data by palpation, auscultation, percussion, and other diagnostic means
- Position patients, and assist in turning or lifting patients
- Reach below the waist or overhead while providing patient care or performing nursing procedures
- Maneuver in small patient areas such as patient rooms, treatment rooms, or nursing work stations
Fine Motor Skills Fine motor skills sufficient to perform manual psychomotor skills
- Pick up and handle small objects with fingers
- Carry out patient care procedures such as wound care
Physical Endurance Physical stamina sufficient to remain on task
- Complete a six-, eight-, or 12-hour
classes and clinical settings
- Be able to work in close quarters with clients, classmates, nursing faculty, and members of the healthcare teams
- Focus attention on task
- Monitor own emotions and be able to keep emotions under control in classroom and clinical environments
- Establish a therapeutic relationship and communicate in supportive manner
Professional Attitudes and Interpersonal Skills
Present professional appearance and demeanor; demonstrate ability to communicate with patients, supervisors, and other members of the healthcare team to achieve a positive and safe work environment. Follow instructions and safety protocols
- Maintain empathetic, flexible, culturally sensitive, therapeutic relationships with others
- Accept accountability and responsibility for one's actions
- Comply with both the ethical and legal standards of the profession
- Express compassion, empathy, and a caring concern for others
- Demonstrate initiative, motivation, and diligence
- Display integrity, honesty, and responsibility
- Display respect, sensitivity, and tolerance for diverse populations
- Demonstrate comfort with close physical contact in the care of clients
Cognitive/Quantitative Abilities
Reading comprehension skills and mathematical ability sufficient to understand documents written in English and solve problems involving measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis
- Give clear oral patient reports
- Read graphs
- Read and understand printed instructional materials for both classroom and/or clinical setting use
- Legibly write or type in client physical or electronic records
- Effectively converse with patient and members of the healthcare team
- Discriminate fine/ subtle differences in medical word or medications
- Give and understand verbal directions
Conceptual/Spatial Abilities
Conceptual spatial ability sufficient to comprehend three-dimensional and spatial relationships
- Comprehend spatial relationship needed to properly assess wounds of varying depths
Clinical Reasoning Ability to logically reason across time regarding a patient’s changing condition
- Carry out the nursing process in the care of patients
- Process information thoroughly and quickly to prioritize tasks
- Analyze and synthesize data to effectively contribute to the patient plan of care
- Sequence or cluster patient findings
- Identify cause and effect relationships
Academic Policies
- Add/Drop Policy
- Attendance and Participation
- Class Hours
- Credit for Prior Learning
- Graduation Requirements
- Passing Grade
- Transfer Credit
Add/Drop Policy
Students interested in adding a course or courses to their schedule must meet with the Academic Advisement Department to obtain approval prior to the start of the second week of the term. Requests will be considered only if appropriate arrangements can be made to make up missed class time. Clinical courses cannot be added to a student’s schedule after the start of the term.
- Uniforms are mandatory while participating in any laboratory activity.
Clinical/Laboratory Tardiness Policy
- Clinical or laboratory tardiness is defined as arriving after the designated start time for any clinical or laboratory experience.
- A student who anticipates being late to clinical or laboratory, must directly contact his/her Clinical or Laboratory Instructor, as instructed.
- The first tardy occurrence will result in a verbal warning and will be noted on the student’s weekly clinical evaluation.
- A student who is tardy for the second time for any clinical or laboratory experience will be sent home and a clinical absence will be recorded.
A student failing either the didactic, clinical, or laboratory component of a patient care technician (PCT) course will fail the entire course. Failure of a PCT course is defined as any grade below the minimum progression requirement of C.
*Students are reminded of the mandatory C (70 percent) grade requirement for Medical Terminology, Anatomy and Physiology I and II, as well as all MED and PCT courses.
Class Hours
Generally, classes are in session from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Saturday classes may be scheduled from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Clinical rotations may be scheduled from 7:00 AM until 12 midnight, Monday through Saturday.
Graduation Requirements
To qualify for graduation, students enrolled in the Patient Care Technician (PCT) program must fulfill the following requirements:
- Pass Medical Terminology, Anatomy and Physiology I and II, as well as each PCT and MED course with a minimum grade of C
- Successfully complete the prescribed number of clinical hours
- Successfully complete the prescribed course of study with a minimum average of 2.00 (C)
- Meet the credit-hour requirements for the major
- Discharge all financial obligations to the College
- Participate in the Certified Patient Care Technician credentialing examination
Additional information regarding graduation can be found in the 2020- Undergraduate Catalog.
Passing Grade
The minimum passing grade required for Medical Terminology, Anatomy and Physiology I and II, as well as all Patient Care Technician (PCT) and Medical (MED) courses is a C (70 percent). Any grade below a C (70 percent) is a failing grade. In order to pass a PCT course that consists of both didactic and clinical/laboratory portions, students must receive at least a C (70 percent) for the didactic portion of the course and a P for the clinical/laboratory portion. A failure in either the didactic or clinical/laboratory portion of a PCT course will result in a failing grade for the entire course.
Repeating Courses
Students enrolled in the PCT program who receive a grade of D or below in Medical Terminology, Anatomy and Physiology I and II, and/or any PCT or MED course must repeat that course in order to progress in the program. The minimum passing grade required for a repeated course is a C.
Note that failed courses may lead to repeat charges and may also delay graduation.
