Fundamental Concepts and Skills for the Patient Care Technician

Master the skills you need to succeed as a patient care technician! Fundamental Concepts and Skills for the Patient Care Technician, 2nd Edition provides a solid foundation in healthcare principles and in the procedures performed by PCTs and other health professionals. Coverage of skills includes patient hygiene, infection control, taking vital signs, moving and positioning of patients, blood and specimen collecting and testing, ECG placement and monitoring, care of the surgical patient, care of older adults, and more. Clear, step-by-step instructions help you learn each procedure, and may also be used as skills checklists. Written by nursing educator Kimberly Townsend Little, this text prepares students for success on Patient Care Technician or Nursing Assistant Certification exams.
More than 100 step-by-step skills and procedures cover the information found on the Nursing Assistant and Patient Care Technician certification exams. Practice Scenarios present realistic case studies with questions to help you practice critical thinking and apply concepts to the practice setting. Delegation and Documentation boxes cover the information needed from the nurse before a procedure and what information should be recorded after the procedure. Illness and Injury Prevention boxes highlight important safety issues. Chapter review questions test your understanding of important content. Chapter summaries emphasize key points to remember. Chapter objectives and key terms outline the important concepts and essential terminology in each chapter. NEW! A chapter on medication administration is added to this edition. NEW! New content is included on NG and gastric tubes, oral suctioning, incentive spirometry, use of a bladder scanner, and inserting peripheral IVs. NEW! Updated guidelines include CPR and dietary guidelines.