Whether you enter a doctor’s office, emergency room, or nursing home, you’re likely to encounter many different types of healthcare workers. Some will wear white coats, some will wear scrubs, and some will look like your everyday Joe, smiling at a patient’s bedside and ensuring they’re comfortable. As a patient or visitor, it’s not always easy to tell who is who. But if you’re an aspiring healthcare professional, it’s important to understand the many roles (and career options!) available.
For example, nurse technicians, patient care technicians, and nursing assistants often get confused. These professionals carry out basic patient care duties, support medical staff, and keep patients tended to, cared for, and comfortable. Each of these roles can be achieved in a matter of months, not years. But there are subtle differences that make nurse techs, PCTs, and CNAs all unique.
If you’re exploring fast-track healthcare careers, you may be wondering the difference between a nurse tech and CNA, nurse tech and PCT, or even PCT and CNA. This article breaks down everything you need to know about each career path.
What is a nurse technician?
A nurse technician, called a nurse tech for short, is a healthcare support professional who works under the supervision of a registered nurse. Nurse techs are unlicensed and therefore can perform only more basic patient care duties, such as monitoring vital signs, assisting with bathing and feeding, and transporting patients in need. Many nursing students work as nurse techs while they’re still in school, in order to gain experience and build connections before launching their long-term career.
What is a certified nursing assistant (CNA)?
A certified nursing assistant, commonly referred to as a CNA, provides essential, hands-on care to patients staying in hospital, rehabilitation, residential care, and home care settings. Like nurse technicians, CNAs work under the supervision of licensed nurses to fulfill patients’ basic needs. They can be found assisting patients with daily living activities, taking vital signs, and ensuring patients are comfortable throughout their stay. CNAs also document medical information and act as a liaison between patients and their healthcare providers.
What is a patient care technician (PCT)?
A patient care technician, also called a patient care assistant or associate (PCA), is a healthcare professional who provides hands-on care to patients and communicates patients’ needs to doctors, nurses, and other providers. They carry out many basic duties like taking vital signs, transporting and positioning patients, as well as feeding and dressing those in need. However, patient care technicians also carry out advanced responsibilities in phlebotomy (i.e., blood collection) and electrocardiogram (EKG) monitoring.
Nurse tech vs. CNA vs. PCT: Key differences
As you can see, nurse techs, CNAs, and PCTs all provide basic, direct care to patients. All work under the direction of licensed medical professionals, including registered nurses and physicians. However, there are important distinctions between each title, including their prerequisites, scope of practice, and typical work environments. Let’s take a look.
Competencies and responsibilities
Nurse technicians have a broad set of responsibilities without a dedicated scope of work. Essentially, these professionals support licensed nurses with any basic duties, whether that’s cleaning patients’ rooms, dressing a wound, or getting a patient dressed.
Certified nursing assistants carry out similar responsibilities, but typically have more autonomy while doing so. They can often be found in long-term healthcare facilities, like nursing homes, ensuring patients are comfortable.
Patient care technicians are often seen as “advanced” CNAs, as they can perform all the same basic patient care duties. However, PCT/As receive advanced training in phlebotomy and EKGs, making their skillsets more desirable and versatile.
Educational requirements
As you can likely gather from their responsibilities, nurse techs, CNAs, and PCTs face different academic pathways in college. While all can be attained with some postsecondary education (and no degree!), the timeline looks a bit different for each.
Nurse techs, for example, do not have any formal requirements nationwide. Students can become nurse techs while in school to gain a foothold in healthcare.
Nursing assistants, on the other hand, must complete a state-approved training program at the college level. These programs typically take between 4 and 12 weeks, and make individuals eligible to pursue their CNA certification exam.
Patient care technicians usually start their educational journey through CNA training, then pursue advanced courses to learn skills like EKG and phlebotomy. Overall, though, PCT/A programs can be completed in less than a year.
At Goodwin University, aspiring PCT/A professionals begin their coursework with a semester of CNA training and an internship. They can become a CNA after completion of this first semester. However, the next two semesters build on their learnings, advance their skills, and make them eligible for patient care technician and associate roles.
Learn about the CNA and PCA training program at Goodwin today!
Licensing and certification
Nursing technicians are essentially nursing students who are still in school, and therefore not yet licensed or certified.
Certified nursing assistants, as their title implies, have pursued and accomplished certification in their line of work. CNA certification is required.
Patient care technicians and assistants, on the other hand, can pursue certification, but it’s not mandated everywhere. However, if you’re considering becoming a PCT/A, you’ll find that most employers prefer to hire certified candidates.
None of the listed professions here — nurse tech, PCT, CNA — have full-on licensure, thereby limiting their scope of practice to basic care duties. Leveling up to LPN, RN, and beyond allows for more autonomous patient care delivery and career growth.
Workplace environments
Nursing techs can be found in all corners of healthcare. However, as they are often nursing students, these techs are typically found in hospital settings, learning while on the job.
Certified nursing assistants, on the other hand, can usually be found in long-term care facilities, rehabilitation centers, and home healthcare environments, focusing their efforts on keeping their core patients comfortable.
Patient care technicians are most often found in hospital and acute care settings, due to their deep technical skills. They may also work in outpatient clinics, specialized practices, and emergency environments.
Get started at Goodwin today
If you desire to make an impact in healthcare, but don’t want to spend years in medical school, becoming a patient care professional is a great stepping stone. Nurse techs, patient care assistants, and certified nursing assistants all offer a unique opportunity to help people in need, and a fast pathway to getting started.
Goodwin University is a nonprofit institution of higher education and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly known as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Goodwin University was founded in 1999, with the goal of serving a diverse student population with career-focused degree programs that lead to strong employment outcomes.