Patient Care Technicians, PCT, or Certified Nurses’ Assistants, CNA, are a great and under-appreciated member of the healthcare team. During a rough night or shift, for those of you who work during the “waking hours,” an excellent PCT will ease the difficulty of your shift. The tech will appease your other patients or aid you in whatever urgent situation you find yourself. I love my techs and continue to have a close working relationship with my PCTs. This is not the case for all nurses.
#1 They are not personal servants
This goes out to the nurses who feel or treat their PCT in the manner of if they can do it, then they should. In this situation, the nurse will only administer medication and do their assessment. The truth of the matter we are members of the healthcare team. The team, being a significant word. The patient is the center of this team. The patient is very much aware of the nurses who do this or not. Anytime a patient asks for anything that doesn’t need to be charted, juice, ice, or an extra blanket the tech appears with the item. The nurse may think, I called the tech and met the needs of the patient, but the patient perceived this as you are too busy and might not care. The PCT may regard this as being lazy. I have witnessed a patient calling their nurse to ask for ice, the nurse in the nutrition room with the ice maker then calls the tech and walks out. Don’t confuse this with a delegation. If you are in an urgent or emergent situation, call them, if you are running behind with medication and a patient ask for juice then call. But if you are able to provide its best to be there for your patients.
#2 They aren’t the only ones there for a code brown.
It’s been noticed that a few nurses after finding out their patient had soiled themselves, call their PCT and walk out. The PCT, at least on my unit will have anywhere from 12 to 18 patients. Depending on the patient, for most patients, I need another person. Ask for help. If your PCT is busy, gather everything you think you might need. As the nurse, you need to remember their time is just as valuable as yours. From the patient’s perspective, if you, the nurse find that they, the patient, had soiled themselves and walk away to call or even call in the room to leave the clean up for the PCT, the patient may feel like they are not a priority. If the tech is busy and a considerable amount of time goes by without the patient being cleaned up, guess what, whether its urine or feces this will either cause or continue skin break down. Teaming with the PCT means a more efficient cleaning, two sets of eyes are on the surface to ensure everything was cleaned and for the nurse, this is the best time for the skin assessment.
#3 Do not talk down to your PCT
Techs are people too. No matter where you fall in the healthcare team you just don’t tell down or belittle anyone. Before becoming a nurse I worked as a manager in retail, as a manager you have the responsibility, and you make the calls. The nurse is similar in this fashion, whether you make the call to page the physician on the case or you feel Tylenol will help the situation. A solid line of communication includes respect. The way the message gets across is as an important, as the message itself. Keep in mind your tone. If your PCT does something incorrect that is not life or death, or get the job done but not the way you prefer after leaving the patient’s room, make it a teaching moment. Do not yell or correct anyone in front of a patient. This does not look professional. If it’s during an emergency, you slip or become short, afterward apologize Usually if it’s in the moment and you aren’t one to snap they will accept the apology, no hurt feeling.
Technicians are significant members of the healthcare team. The golden rule, treat them the way you want to be treated. Apologize when you speak out of turn. Keep good relationships with your tech. Thank your tech. So many mornings I go home with a feeling of not being appreciated, don’t pay that forward, take the time during or towards the end of the shift and a simple thank you goes a long way. Have you thanked your tech lately?