Patient Care Technician

The Patient Care Technician course prepares students for the Colorado State Nurse Aide Certification NNAAP® Exam while providing students a foundation in Nurse Aide theory and skills. Students will learn the scope of practice and multiple proficiencies of working in an interdisciplinary team to provide holistic care to patients and residents. Students will participate in a minimum of 16 hours of hands-on care to residents during supervised clinical learning experiences at a local long-term care facility. Content includes: introduction to the nursing aide role, communication skills, exploration of health care settings, ethical and legal issues, cultural sensitivity, patient/resident rights, infection control, safety and body mechanics, measures and records vital signs, admission, transfer, and discharge, bedmaking and caring for patients’ environment, personal care, nutrition and fluid balance, toileting, restorative care, and end-of-life care.

In the spring semester, instruction provides interpretation of EKG strips, anatomy and physiology of the heart, and the use of three-lead monitoring as a guide, with discussion of twelve-lead EKG. Additional coursework covers the duties associated with the practice of venipuncture, capillary puncture, and special collection procedures. Students gain experience with quality control, infection control, safety procedures, and laboratory computer systems. Successful completion of this course, with an adequate number of blood draws, will constitute eligibility for application for a National Phlebotomy Registry Examination.