Your resume needs to highlight your skills, qualifications, experience along with an unparalleled commitment to providing excellent and holistic patient care. In this in-depth guide, we will provide you with a structured outline to make an exceptional resume for a patient care technician job. Let's start by taking a look at the roles and responsibilities of a patient care technician and then dive into the resume making process.
A patient care technician (PCT) provides direct care to patients under the supervision of nurses and other healthcare professionals. They assist patients with day to day activities, monitoring their vital signs, collecting specimens when required and providing emotional assistance and companionship. Patient care technicians often act as the patient’s primary care giver which can be a very demanding and an extremely challenging role.
In this role, you are required to not only possess the required technical skills but also need great interpersonal skills and the ability to be patient and empathetic.It is challenging work but it is extremely rewarding as well. Now that we have a rudimentary understanding of the role, let's take a look at a few sample versions of a patient technician resume.
Patient Care Technician Resume Samples
Inspired by our very own versatile collection of resume samples, we have crafted 3 effective resume examples for patient care technicians in different stages of their career- Entry- level, mid-level and senior level.
Entry-level PCT resume
Jane Allen
(000)-123-45879
janeallen@example.com
Brooklyn, New York
Objective Statement/Professional Summary
A dedicated patient care technician with entry-level experience with a strong desire to learn and contribute to the well-being of patients. Specializes in direct patient care, healthcare support and adept at monitoring patient’s vital signs and symptoms and recording the results for nurses and physicians. Seeking an opportunity to put my skills to good use and motivated to learn and grow in the medical and healthcare industry.
Clinical Work Experience
Brooklyn Medical Centre, Brooklyn,NY
Patient Care Technician
December 2022- Present
- Assist the medical or nursing staff in ADLs
- Diligently recorded patient’s vital signs
- Responsible for maintaining a safe and comfortable environment for the patients
- Responsible for assisting the medical staff to deliver top quality patient care
Volunteer Work
Bronx Healthcare, Brooklyn, NY
Volunteer
July 2022-November 2022
- Provided volunteer support for the non-profit hospital servicing the under privileged and low-income patients
- Managed the front desk, answered phone calls, helped the nursing staff with errands and interacted and with patients and assisted with their discharge
Education
High School Diploma
Virginia High School
2021
Key Skills
- Basic patient care
- Healthcare support
- Equipment maintenance
- Vital signs monitoring
- Adept in medical terminology
- Excellent communication skills
Certifications
Certified Patient Care Technician, University of Virginia, 2021
Mid-level PCT resume
Jake Smith
920-222-3456
jakesmith@example.com
San Francisco, California
Objective Statement/Professional Summary
An experienced and reliable patient care technician with 5 years of clinical experience with expertise in phlebotomy, ADLs for critically ill patients, and patient safety assessment and conflict management. History of successful collaborations with healthcare teams to mine patient data and achieve high quality patient care. Experience in working in high- pressure and high stress medical environments and proficient in dealing with combative patients.
Work Experience
Ohio General Hospital, Ohio
Patient Care Technician
September 2020- Present
- Collaborate with healthcare team members to assist patients and provide holistic care for a 300-bed hospital
- Monitor vital signs, check temperature and blood pressure and reaction to new treatments and therapy, provide reports on the same to the nursing staff members
- Assist in medical procedures such as catheterisation, EKGs while ensuring patient comfort and safety
- Responsible for gathering patient samples for laboratory testing and ensuring compliance with lab safety protocols
- Maintain a sterile environment for patients in compliance with infection control protocols which have resulted in minimal infection incidents
- Play a key role in the training and orientation of new patient care technicians ensuring seamless integration and maintaining the high standards of patient care
Madison County Hospital, Indiana
Patient Care Technician
February 2018- August 20,2020
- Delivered support and assistance to the nursing staff with patient intake and discharge for a 150-bed hospital
- Tracked and maintained a record of medical equipment
- Responsible for maintaining medical records
- Organised the patient's personal possessions
- Cleaned and maintained the hospital rooms is compliance with the health and safety standards of the hospital
- Took initiative to start quality improvement measures to enhance the quality of patient care
Education
Bachelor of Science (Health Science)
University of Michigan
2017
High School Diploma
Ohio High
2012
Key Skills
- Proficient in direct patient care techniques
- Expert in vital signs monitoring
- Medication administration
- CPR and First Aid certification
- In-depth knowledge of medical terminology
- Maintaining patient charts
- Maintaining medical records
- Medical supply inventory
- Leadership skills
- Teamwork skills
- Strong communication skills
- Quick conflict resolution
- Stress- management
- Compassionate
Certifications
Certified Patient Care Technician,Ohio University, 2017
Basic Life Support, 2017
Certificate in First Aid, 2016
Senior-level PCT resume
Jenna Penn
(000)-123-5629
jennapenn@example.com
Austin, Texas
Objective
Dedicated medical professional and a certified nursing assistant with 10+ years experience specialising in electrocardiography and dialysis treatments. Dedicated to high quality patient care and providing seamless medical assistance to healthcare professionals. Proven track record of establishing a positive rapport with patients and showcased crisis management in high-stress situations. Acknowledged for superior quality control measures, pre and post operative patient care, patient meals and direct patient care.
Work Experience
Austin County Hospital
Head Patient Care Technician
July 2016-Present
- Responsible for execution of critical care procedures such as continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT)
- Responsible for providing chronic hemodialysis therapy which includes monitoring the patient’s vital signs, administering fluid therapy as directed and document the results
- Coordinate with nurses for admissions, transfers, discharge procedures, patient status
- Assist nurses with monitoring vital signs, temperature, blood pressure, pulse and respiration rates, inserting IVs and catheters
- Responsible for performing EKGs
- Records patient’s reaction to medication and anesthesia prior to surgery
- Takes initiative to build relationships with patients and is committed to provide emotional support to ease the treatment process
- Responsible for mentoring and guiding junior patient care technicians in the use of specialised medical equipment and the execution of complex medical procedures
Texas Memorial Hospital
Patient Care Technician
January 2012-June 2016
- Assisted registered nurses in coordinating patient intake, discharge procedures and patient transport
- Instrumental in creating and implementing electronic health records (EHR) which streamlined patient medical records, data access and reporting by a huge margin
- Helped patients in performing ADLs like going to the toilet,personal hygiene, and dental care
- Implemented strict sterile techniques in the dressing for complex wounds, reducing the risk of infection
- Demonstrated skill in operating telemetry equipment ensuring real-time monitoring of patient EKGs and quick reaction to any irregularities
Key Skills
- Patient centered care
- Monitoring vital signs
- Blood pressure
- Dialysis analysis
- Phlebotomy
- Certified CPR and first aid professional
- Adept in medical terminology
- Emotional support for patients
- Excellent communication skills
Education
Bachelor of Science (Health Science)
University of Dallas
2011
High School Diploma
Ohio High
2007
Certifications
Certified Patient Care Technician
Basic Life Support
Certified EMT (Emergency Medical Technician)
Certificate in First Aid
How to make a patient care technician resume?
Creating an effective and impactful patient care technician resume is the key to landing a job for a patient care technician position. Let's take a look at the various sections that are required for a well-thought out and structured patient care technician resume.
Choosing the right resume format
Before creating your patient care technical resume, you need to decide on the appropriate format. The most common formats are chronological, functional. If you have considerable work experience, the chronological format is ideal where you list your work experiences in reverse chronological order. If you don't have the adequate amount of work experience then use the functional format as it focuses more on your skills and qualifications rather than your work history.
The structure of a patient care technician resume
The structure of your patient care technician resume should look as follows
- Header
- Professional Summary/Objective statement
- Work Experience
- Education
- Relevant Skills
- Certifications
- Additional sections (optional)
Make a header
This is an essential section in your patient care technician resume which requires you to provide your contact information. This is your contact information for potential hiring managers, so ensure there are no mistakes in this section.This section include the following
- Full name
- Contact information- address, phone number and email address
- Link to your LinkedIn profile.
Write an impactful professional summary
Treat your professional summary as an elevator pitch for hiring managers and potential employers. It should act as a concise overview of who you are and what you have to offer. Ensure that you customize and emphasise on the relevant skills and experience as mentioned in the job description.
Elaborate on relevant work experience
In this section, you will list out your entire work history and shine a light on your role and responsibilities as a patient care technician. Here are some pointers on how to do that.
- Always use bullet points- This makes your resume easy to read and allows hiring managers to quickly scan through your work history and responsibilities.
- Customise as per the job description- If the job posting emphasizes on a particular skill or responsibility, use those exact keywords and highlight them in relevant areas of your professional experience section.
- Quantify achievements- It is advisable to highlight your work achievements with quantifiable data wherever possible. For instance, mention the number of patients assisted by you, the number beds in the hospital, the percentage of wound healing under your care.
List your educational qualifications
The following qualifications are required to become a patient care technician.
- Highschool diploma or GED
- Certification in a patient care technician program
- Specialised certifications (if any) like CPR certification, phlebotomy training, EMT training.
Ensure that all your certifications are up to date.
Relevant Skills
The skill set required to be a successful technician is a balance between technician medical knowledge and having an empathetic and compassionate nature. Here is a list of key hard skills and soft skills that you can mention in your patient care technician resume.
Technical Skills- Patient care tech
- HIPAA compliance
- Monitoring patient vital signs
- Medication administration
- Activities of daily living (ADLs)
- Treatment plans
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
- EKG
- First Aid
- Telemetry
- Phlebotomy
- Hemodialysis
- Patient intake
- Patient discharge
- Patient advocacy
- Physical examinations
- Patient specimen collection
- Medical terminology
- Electronic Health Record (EHR)
- Strong communication skills
- Compassion and empathy
- Attention to detail
- Physical dexterity
- Adaptability
- Team player
- Stress management
- Conflict resolution
- Strong work ethics
Certifications
Getting a globally recognised patient care technician certification will increase your credibility and help further your career in healthcare. All you need to do is enroll in the Certified Patient Care Technician/Assistant (CPCT/A) program and pass the examination. It is essential to mention this and any additional certificate courses that you may have undertaken in your patient health care technician resume..Here’s a list of additional areas you can receive certification to specialize and expand your technical knowledge as a patient care technician.
- Phlebotomy technician
- Telemetry technician
- Dialysis treatment technician
- Pharmacy technician
- Emergency medical technician
- Medical coding and billing certification
Additional sections
Once you have properly organised all your core sections, you can consider adding the following additional sections to make your own patient care technician experience and resume stand out.
- Awards and achievements- If you have received an award or recognition for your work and your patient care technician skills then it is highly advisable to mention it on your resume.
- Languages- If you are fluent in any other languages apart from English, you should mention it on your patient care technician resume. It can broaden your job search and offer a wider range of job opportunities.
- Volunteer work- Showing past volunteering experience will reinforce your commitment and strong will for patient care. It also shows you are willing to go the extra mile. It can be the thing that sets your patient care technician resume apart from the rest.
Proofreading and editing
This is an essential step while making any resume. A well made patient care technician resume should not contain any typos or grammatical errors. Before you submit your resume, always proofread and edit anything if required. Consider getting a fresh set of eyes to review your resume also.
Complement your resume with a cover letter
While you can highlight your technical skills in your patient technician resume, a cover letter provides you with the opportunity to elaborate on your virtues like compassion, empathy and patience which are equally important for patient treatment . To be seriously considered for a patient care technician job, you need to highlight these qualities that reflect your commitment to patient satisfaction and providing top quality healthcare to the patients.
Key Takeaways
Now that we have comprehensively understood the various methods and processes that go into crafting meticulous patient care technician resumes, let us take a look at the key takeaways.
- Understand the roles and responsibilities of a patient care technician job before applying
- Define the objective of your patient care technician resume clearly
- Choose the right patient care technician resume format
- Highlight technical skills and soft skills
- Mention all the relevant certifications you have received
- Acknowledge the awards and recognitions you have received as a patient care technician
- Highlight your volunteer work
- Complement the resume with a cover letter
- Always proofread
Conclusion
Choosing to be a healthcare professional and dedicating your life to the service of others is extremely commendable. To secure this job, it is extremely crucial to give yourself the best chance with an outstanding patient care technician resume. To make your resume look even more professional and efficient, check out our diverse collection of resume samples and templates. With our resume templates, you can fine tune your patient care technician and be a step closer to starting your journey as a healthcare professional. With all the knowledge that you have now, you can start your career as a patient care technician in no time. We wish you good luck with your job hunting!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A patient care technician resume should have the following structure:
- Include your contact information in the header section
- Write a professional summary
- Detail your prior work experience and mention the establishments (hospital,hospice ect) you have worked with
- Give your educational background
- Highlight all the relevant technical and hard skills
- Highlight your soft skills
- Mention all the certifications you have received
- Additional sections can be added- Volunteer work experience, language, awards and recognitions
The skills section in a patient technician resume should reflect a healthy balance of technical skills and soft skills. Following are some of the key skills you can add in to your resume.
- Patient care tech
- HIPAA compliance
- Monitoring patient vital signs
- Medication administration
- Activities of daily living (ADLs)
- Treatment plans
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
- EKG
- First Aid
- Telemetry
- Phlebotomy
- Hemodialysis
- Patient intake
- Patient discharge
- Patient advocate
- Physical examinations
- Patient specimen collection
- Medical terminology
- Electronic Health Record (EHR)
- Strong communication skills
- Compassion and empathy
- Attention to detail
- Physical dexterity
- Adaptability
- Team player
- Stress management
- Conflict resolution
- Strong work ethics
A good professional summary should consist of 2-4 sentences which include your years of experience and job title, 1-2 of your top skills and your biggest achievements till date. Highlight your experience of assisting patients and your undying commitment to their well-being and comfort. Keep it concise and impactful.
