How to Become a Patient Care Technician in Rhode Island

Search Patient Care Technician Programs

Get information on Patient Care Technician programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information.

Sponsored Search

How to Become a Patient Care Technician in Rhode Island

From home healthcare services to nursing homes and hospitals, the medical industry requires compassionate, selfless, and caring individuals who work to help others.

One such role that can have a major impact on the lives of patients and their families is a patient care technician.

Best of all, you would not need decades of education to begin your career.

Instead, you only need a short training program to jump right on.

Search Patient Care Technician Programs

Get information on Patient Care Technician programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information.

Sponsored Listings

If this sounds like a position, you want to explore then keep reading to learn more about how to become a patient care technician in Rhode Island!

Licensing Requirements to Become a Patient Care Technician in Rhode Island

Like most other states, there is a defined process for becoming a patient care technician in Rhode Island.

The steps include:

Earning a High School Diploma

The only educational prerequisite for enrolling in a patient care technician training program is to hold a high school diploma.

GEDs are also an equivalent option that all schools will accept.

Completing a Training Program

Once you have earned your diploma, you must find a training program that works best for your schedule.

Like in all states, Rhode Island offers in-person, online, and hybrid training educational opportunities to give students the flexibility to work and learn simultaneously.

Training programs typically last from several months to one year, but some may go into further detail and last two-to-three years for an associate degree.

To join any program, you must pass drug screening and tuberculosis tests, have a clean criminal record, and basic health immunizations.

Once you complete all classes, you will earn a certificate (or diploma) of completion and the coursework prepares you for the national licensing examination.

Passing the Licensing Exam

The patient care technician certification exam is offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

The exam requires you to submit a set of fingerprints, show proof of citizenship, pay the examination fee of $149, which is sometimes included in your education tuition, graduate from a training program, and be over 18 years of age.

While completing a training program is not required to take the exam, you must have at least one year of experience before enrolling in the exam.

The test is 100 questions long and you have two hours to complete it.

Getting Listed on the Rhode Island Nurse Aid Registry

Once you pass the exam, you must contact the Rhode Island Department of Health to be added to the registry.

5 Patient Care Technician Schools in Rhode Island

All schools in Rhode Island offer a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certificate, which has similar responsibilities to being a patient care technician.

Five of these schools include:

Community College of Rhode Island

Community College of Rhode Island Logo

The Community College of Rhode Island is the only public school that offers an associate degree nursing program that allows students to become certified patient technicians.

Students develop the skills to come out of the program with mastery of medical topics as well as excellent communication, collaboration, clinical reasoning, and critical thinking skills.

The program lasts approximately two years and costs around $3,600.

Chariho Adult Education

Chariho Adult Education Logo

At Chariho Adult Education, students are exposed to 80 hours of classroom instruction and 40 hours of clinical instruction at an external healthcare facility.

The program prepares students for the certification exam.

The entire program is offered at night and the tuition costs $1,000.

Cranston Adult Education

Cranston Adult Education Logo

The CNA program offered by Cranston Adult Education was developed to train students in becoming critical members of the healthcare system through clinical training and classroom instruction.

The curriculum is 80 hours of theory and 40 hours in a clinical environment with hands-on learning.

Classes are held twice per week at night and the total program cost is $1,050.

Newport Community School

Newport Community School Logo

At Newport Community School, students must take 100 hours of live classroom lecturing and 40 hours of clinical training at a nursing home.

During this time, students learn the basics of providing patient care and nursing services to a variety of patients in different healthcare settings.

This is a Rhode Island Department of Health approved program.

Regional Career and Technical Center

Regional Career and Technical Center Logo

Students that enroll in the Regional Career and Technical Center training program have a healthy mix of clinical and classroom experience to understand the foundations of assisting patients with a variety of ailments in different healthcare settings.

This course prepares students to take the certification exam after program completion.

Patient Care Technician Schools in Rhode Island – Summary Table

School Name Address
Community College of Rhode Island 400 East Ave, Warwick, RI 02886
Chariho Adult Education 459 Switch Road Wood River Junction, RI 02894
Cranston Adult Education 83 Rolfe Square, Cranston, RI 02920
Newport Community School 55 Broadway, Newport, RI 02840
Regional Career and Technical Center 40 Reservoir Rd, Coventry, RI 02816
Search Patient Care Technician Programs

Get information on Patient Care Technician programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information.

Sponsored Listings

Salary

The median U.S. patient care technician salary is $34,500 with a range of $30,000 to $38,600.

The Rhode Island median salary is a little higher at $36,400 with a range from $31,700 to $40,700.

Annual Salary Range:
$31K
$36K
$40K
10%
50%
90%
Annual Salary by Location:
Location Avg. Annual Salary
Providence $36,255
Warwick $36,255
Cranston $36,255
Pawtucket $36,255
East Providence $36,255
Woonsocket $36,221
Coventry $36,186
North Providence $36,255
Cumberland $36,255
West Warwick $36,255

Regional Salary in Rhode Island

Region Employed Avg. Annual Salary Avg. Hourly Pay Top 10% Annual Salary Bottom 10% Annual Salary
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA9,830$39,250$18.87$47,680$31,740
* Salary information based on the May 2022 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Nursing Assistants, OCC Code 31-1131, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a patient care technician in Rhode Island do?

Patient care technicians work across numerous healthcare environments and perform a variety of duties.

One of their most common tasks is to assist patients with daily activities that they may not be able to do themselves.

Other responsibilities include helping patients move around safely, ensuring their comfort, and providing basic medical care like drawing blood for testing or measuring vital signs.

What skills do the best patient care technician’s in Rhode Island possess?

Compassion is the first word that comes to mind when thinking about patient care technicians.

Those in this role must care for those who cannot care for themselves, which requires a tremendous amount of empathy, kindness, and patience.

Communication skills are also critical to success since patient care technicians must understand their patient’s concerns and convey them to supervisors and other colleagues.

Additionally, those moving into this role must have physical stamina and strength to spend hours standing and helping life patients who cannot move.

What are the most common places that patient care technicians work in Rhode Island?

Patient care technicians can be found anywhere the elderly, injured, or sick are located.

That equates to retirement communities or nursing homes, outpatient care centers, home care providers, and hospitals.

Although most work in a full-time capacity, part-time positions are available through certain employers.

While shifts vary based on the employer and location, new patient care technicians should expect to work holidays, weeks, or nights since patients have around-the-clock requirements.

USA PCT Schools by City


USA PCT Schools by State


Leave a Comment

×
Search Patient Care Technician Programs

Get information on Patient Care Technician programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information.

Sponsored Search