Dialysis patient care technicians make patients comfortable during their treatments.
Dialysis patient care technicians earn their wages by tending to the needs of patients with failing kidneys. Dialysis patients require treatments about three times per week that last three to four hours each. By employing patient care technicians, hospitals, clinics and dialysis centers can keep the cost of healthcare lower, as PCT's cost less than hiring nurses to do the same tasks.
Average Salary
The average salary of a dialysis patient care technician in California was $40,967 in June 2011, according to CareerBuilder. The job listing website said the average salary range was $27,084 to $51,542.
Compared to National Figures
Dialysis patient care technicians in California earn more than the national average salary. According to CareerBuilder's 2011 data, the average U.S. salary of a dialysis patient care technician was $35,687, with an average range of $23,593 to $44,899. The Occupational Information Network said that the median salary for all patient care technicians was $24,040 in 2009.
Duties
Dialysis patient care technicians help the registered nurse on duty tend to the patients in the dialysis center, taking pre-dialysis vital signs that include blood pressure, temperature and weight. PCT's check on patients during treatment and address issues, such as blood clotting as they occur. If certified as a hemodialysis technician, the PCT can insert needles and initiate the dialysis treatment.
Employment Outlook
The outlook for dialysis for patient care technicians is excellent. Job growth up to 19 percent is expected by the Occupational Information Network during the period from 2008 to 2018. For the same time period, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the need for PCTs will grow by 18 percent. The bureau cites a growing and aging population as the main catalyst of the growth.
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