Join the VIP Team: Patient Care Technician Overview

Interested in using your passion for helping others in a rewarding career? Healthcare is the obvious choice, but if you don’t have an advanced degree in healthcare, you may be wondering how to reach your career goals.

A patient care technician is a great role to consider. Not only is it one of the most important roles in a healthcare career, but it also has numerous opportunities for growth and different career paths that you can take depending on your interests. Keep reading to find out more.

Patient Care Technician Responsibilities

Patient care technicians are the face of ambulatory surgery centers because they’re often the first and last ones to see a patient as they’re going through the surgery process. While the exact duties vary between surgery centers, generally, the patient care technician helps transport the patient between different areas of the surgery center, such as from the waiting area to the operating room and then to the recovery room and their car.

They may also help turn the rooms over, which involves cleaning and sterilizing the room for the next surgery. Once the person in the role becomes more comfortable and has gained more experience, they may be taught how to do sterile processing, which involves sterilizing instruments.

Job Requirements

A patient care technician only requires a high school diploma or GED. While not necessary, training from another hospital is a plus and can help you become familiar with the role at VIP quicker. No matter what previous roles you’ve held, Vision Integrated Partners (VIP) provides on-the-job training.

Paths You Can Take as a Patient Care Technician

After becoming comfortable and seeing what the different roles in the surgery center involve, there are various paths that you can take depending on your interests. For example, you may decide to pursue a career as a scrub technician or a registered nurse. 

For a scrub technician, training may involve completing a formal technician training program outside of the surgery center, or it may be in-house training with VIP. Formal training generally teaches all surgery service lines, such as orthopedic and neurovascular surgery, in addition to ophthalmology. In-house training may just involve ophthalmology training, or it may be ophthalmology training plus additional surgery types depending on the ambulatory surgery center and if it performs more than just eye surgeries.

To be a registered nurse within an ambulatory surgery center, a formal college education of an associate program or higher, nursing licensure, and completion of Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support courses are required.

Benefits of Being a Patient Care Technician

Patient care technicians have the opportunity to wear a lot of hats and work with the entire team. This enables you to get a feel for which career track you would like to pursue. This patient technician role is unique because it’s an entry-level position in healthcare, but you have the ability to make a career out of it and leverage the experience and skills you gain to move into other positions.

Additionally, patient technicians are vital to ambulatory surgery centers and patients. People in this role are the first and last ones to see patients, so they can help patients feel more relaxed and comfortable before surgery. They also help manage the flow of the ambulatory surgery center by helping nurses and surgeons.

How VIP Helps Nurture Your Interest in Career Advancement

Once you’re on the team, VIP will provide training for the role you want and help you accomplish your career goals. After learning patient care, VIP will help you learn sterile technique and build your background so you can excel in the path that you choose. For example, if you’re interested in a scrub tech role, we would support you by offering flexible scheduling if you want to pursue formal training.

Ready to Start a Rewarding Career?

Are you looking for a rewarding role where you have the opportunity to take your career in different directions? Explore our open roles and apply today to join our team!