Patient Care Technicians are under paid, over worked, not respected by the medical community but yet they want you to be Certified all of a sudden and if you do not pass the exam you have to be taken off the schedule.
What makes us more qualified now that we have a peice of paper? MD's don't even recognize us when they walk in the Dialysis Unit. They don't even acknowledge us. If it wasn't for us; Administration nor the MD's would not be getting paid the large amounts of money they are receiving.
Facility Administrators get bonuses when they keep the pay roll down but yet when they need you for overtime they expect you to work it, but when you ask them if you can get an extra day they give you one and a million excuses why they can't. They say they appreciate you, they don't its all business... You are just a body to fill a spot when someone calls out so they can function legally on the floor.
These big companies like Davita, Fresenius, IHS, Gambro, Renal care group make their PCT's take care of 4 patients per shift and there are 3-4 shifts when it should be 3 patients to one PCT for safey reasons and better quality patient care but NO they want as many patients that can fit in the dialysis unit as possible. It's all about the Money...
All they want to know is what insurance a patient has. This is a very big business that should be monitored better, and should be Unionized. PCT's starting in a Hospital are at $21.50 an hour. Private sector your not even close, usually getting paid just above poverty level.
If the FA's could; they would have us work 24 hours a day.
If you look at the majority of PCT's they are minorities and immigrants. Administration looks to low ball each and every employee. Yet they want you to continue your education in dialysis requiring to maintain CE's (Continuing Education) yet it does not reflect in your pay. Other technicians in specialty fields like ours are making well over $40,000 per year starting.
We deal with having to be at work before 5am to deal with patients who have MIRSA, Hepatitis B, C, HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis, psychotic issues, having to trouble shot the dialysis machine, check the water for chlorine and chloramine, mix the bicarb, make sure the pt is stable before, during, and after they are on the machine; so they can go home safely.
Worst part of the job is if you do not have a teammate staff that is willing to work with you, you are as good as died because you must work twice as hard. There is favoritism, there are nurses who do not work and do their job properly, and who have a huge chip on their shoulder thinking they are God when the MD's are not around which is always.
The MD's come around ith their prescription pad asking patients what medications they need. I have never seen a MD, actually assess a patient the way that they should. They too milk the medicare, medicaid system because they know they can.
The U.S. Attorney General, seriously needs to look into what is happening to the PCT's around the country because I know they are making even less in places down South and out West who are probably in orse predicaments.
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