Patient Care Technician Program

SECTION I -MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY

This area helps participants to learn the Basic Medical Terminology used in the Medical profession. It also helps how to pronounce Medical Terms, prefix, suffix, roots according to the Medical Terminology guideline. This area will also cover how they are applied, spelled and pronounce correctly.

SECTION II- ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

This area covers Anatomy and Physiology related cells, tissue, skeletal system, muscular system, nervous system, endocrine system, circulatory system, immune system, respiratory system, digestive system, urinary system, reproductive system and metabolism.

SECTION III-THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM TEAM:

This segment addresses interactions of medical assistants with all health professionals and includes a brief history of medicine to provide background information on those events that have led to today’s medical accomplishments, modern forms of medical practice and current types of medical care. The cornerstones of medical ethics, form historical codes to AMA’s Principles of Medical ethics, are discussed in some details. The legal responsibilities and limitations of practicing medical assistants as well as those of physicians are included in Medicine and the Law. This segment guides the medical assistant in relations with his or her employer, colleagues and patients.

SECTION IV- THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE 

The participant is introduced to clinical requirements for the front office such as accounts receivable, accounts payable, written correspondence, telephone techniques, appointment scheduling, and how to fill out health insurance claim forms for physician’s offices. This portion includes instruction in the areas generally described as “front-office”, including appointment scheduling and patient reception, records management, fees and collections, accounting systems, computer applications, banking, and health and accident insurance. An entirely new chapter on dictation and transcription has been added to this edition. Section IV includes extensive material on management responsibilities and the office environment.

SECTION V – PHLEBOTOMY

This course is providing the student with Basic Knowledge of Medical Terminology, of the Phlebotomist’s Role in the Healthcare Setting, History of Phlebotomy, Professionalism, Comprehensive Theory of the Cardiovascular System, Basic Infection Control Techniques, Phlebotomy Procedures, Special Collection Procedures as well as Hand-On Dummy Arms.

SECTION VI – EKG

Students are introduced to Basic Knowledge of Medical Terminology related to EKG , Cardiovascular System, Infection Control, Operation of the EKG Machine, Interpret and Analyze EKG Strips, Theory and EKG Applications of Disarrhythmia and Myocardial Infarction are taught in this course.

SECTION VII – PATIENT ASSESSMENT

This section will cover obtaining patient history, assessing signs, and performing CPR of adults, CPR of child, and infant.

SECTION VIII – PHARMACY

Students are introduced to Basic Medical Terminology related to Pharmacy, Basic Math Calculations related to Drugs. Students get familiar with Prescriptions, Drug Order forms, and Drugs as well as Parental Applications.

SECTION IX – CLINICAL PROCEDURE

The participant is introduced to how to properly take a medical history, how to write it in a medical chart and how to file this chart. The participant will learn aseptic techniques, various types of instruments, how to sterile procedure, and how to position and drape the patient for an examination with the physician. The proper procedures for hand washing, cleansing, and disinfecting instruments in the medical office will be covered with the participants also receiving “hands on” experience in this course with actually taking his/her classmate’s vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and temperature). The participants learn how to operate and “hook up” a patient for an electrocardiogram, how to perform routine urinalysis on a urine sample, how to perform preparing of syringe for four types of injections, as well as bandaging. The participant will also learn how to look up medications in the physician’s desk reference. The student clinical procedures will be to learn the proper techniques for venipuncture, finger stick, hematocrit and minor hematological procedures. This area presents basic clinical medical assisting principles and procedures. The chapter sequence follows the logical progression of training of the medical assistant, from the basic to the advanced level of learning and competency. Each chapter is an entire learning package and serves as a “learning loop” that ties to the previous chapters and to those that follow. Added every lesson are discussion of the medical assistant’s responsibilities concerning patient education and legal and ethical matters as they specifically relate to the content of that chapter. Highlights include Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), an updated material on nutrient, and on surgery. In starting with the generic examination techniques and procedures, unit, and concluding with types of specific specialty examination. The medical assistant’s role in assessing the patient, which is specific to each type of examination, is described.

SECTION X – NURSING ASSISTANT

This section introduces the student to the concept of long-term care. It helps the student to define the job duties of a nurse aide. It discusses the following:

• The losses experienced by resident in being admitted to a long-term care facility
• Ways to promote resident rights
• Appropriate communication technique
• Ways of preventing spread of infections
• Method of caring for the residents’ environment and equipment
• Proper ways of making a bed
• Safety measures to prevent accidents like burns and falls
• Fire and disaster practices and emergency health care practices

This section focuses on the psychosocial characteristics of resident living in long-term care facilities, wherein basic needs of man, individual, responses to the aging process, and emotional needs and support of the resident are discussed. Ways of dealing with residents with abnormal behavior or cognitive impairment such as reminiscence, therapeutic use of touch and reality orientation will also be discussed.

In this section physical needs and ways to meet these needs will be discussed, demonstrated and return demonstrated. This includes the performance of the following procedures: Lifting and moving techniques, bathing, backrub, observing and reporting physical changes, positioning, incontinent care, prevention of pressure sores, dressing and undressing, provision of mouth care denture care, feeding the resident, personal grooming, shaving and beard care, morning and evening care, provision of rest measuring intake and output, taking vital signs, serving bedpan/urinal, weighing the resident, application of anti-embolic stockings, specimen collection and ambulating the resident who needs assistance. The student will also learn signs and symptoms of certain disorders like diabetes, thyroid disorders, urinary tract disorders, fractures, parkinsonism, stroke, and seizure disorders. It is in this section that sexuality in the elderly will be discussed.

In this section, the student will learn ways of meeting the spiritual, recreational and activity needs of the elderly. Types and value of activities will be discussed as well as helping residents and family how to cope with death and dying. The role of nurse aide in postmortem care will also be discussed or demonstrated.

SECTION XI – INJECTION/SAFETY

Participants will learn and demonstrate how to perform intramuscular, parental and subcutaneous injection and general safety procedures as presented by NHA.

SECTION XII – JOB READINESS DEVELOPMENT 

This course is designed to help students develop the skills needed to fulfill their employment objectives. Upon completion of this course participants will be assisted in gaining employment in this carrier. Various concerns will be covered. In this part of the course students will learn the following:

• Punctuality
• Leadership Development
• Internship experience
• Role playing techniques on interviewing
• Proper appearance when interviewing
• Resume preparation and procedures on filling out a job application
  

SECTION XIII – EXTERNSHIP (NEW Added Section Required)

Participants will be sent for Clinical Externship at current Institute-affiliated hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices and will be participating in assisting doctors in routine physical examinations, taking vital signs, assisting in minor surgery, and performing administrative tasks.



The student will observe all cases and perform the physical examinations with and without assistance under the supervision of assigned licensed practice of their respective department; maintain log of studies; schedule appointments; maintain medical records in office.

EVALUATION POLICIES/REQUIREMENTS:

ATTENDANCE: Attendance is taken on a daily basis at the beginning of class. Strict adherence is enforced. Lateness to an examination does not warrant extended time on an examination. FOUR OR MORE ABSENCES OR LATENESSES will require a conference with the instructor to justify continuation in the course. In addition, one whole grade is deducted from a student’s final average if he or she has missed more than six classes. Thereafter, additional grade deductions will ensue if excessive absences are present.

ADDITIONAL WORK: It is expected that the student promptly complete all assignment given. Points are deducted for every day a writing assignment is late. The student is advised to be very careful, to budget their time, and hand in homework by its due date. Surprise quizzes and announced quizzes are held. The student must be prepared at all times. The instructor can tell which students are keeping up with homework by their ability to add significant contribution to class discussion. Class participation is very important. The more a student participates, the more interesting the class and the material will be.

NOTE: A student who does not complete a significant portion of the coursework is likely to fail even with a passing performance on the final writing portfolio; therefore, it is important to complete all assignments.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: 

All issues of academic integrity must be strictly observed. Plagiarism is not tolerated, and when demonstrated, will result in a failing grade for the assignment. Student dishonesty of any sort is not tolerated. 

(I will adhere to the academic integrity guidelines developed by Healthcare Training Institute.)

NOTE: The Patient Care Technician Program is taught in a series of 24 to 30 weeks AM or 34 to 40 weeks PM. The program is taught in a series of twelve (12) sections of comprehensive Patient Care Technician theory and practical study, sections inclusive of random order of presentation with the exception of the Clinical Externship- which is performed at the completion of the nine course sections.

A one-to two-week Break Time, although not mandatory or always instituted, is often given to students between Program Sections.