CNT: Certified Nurse Technician

Certified Nurse Technicians (CNT) are an important part and parcel of the medical and health industry.

The reason for this is these people are actively working as support with senior medical practitioners.

They are the ones who make a notable difference in the lives of every patient.

The CNTs are the ones who provide daily support and care to the patients under the supervision of a doctor, senior or a registered nurse.

Here is a complete guide to help you become a certified nurse technician.

In this guide, you will find the American Board certification requirements you need to fulfill and your education to start your certified nursing technician career.

What is A Certified Nurse Technician (CNT)?

Nurse technician is also referred to as nursing attendant who helps patients with medical care.

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) or nurse aides work with these professionally trained nursing technicians and offer basic care in nursing homes, hospitals, and assisted living centers.

Reliability of patient care and a high threshold for stress are characteristics of the effective technician who provides care for the ill and injured.

Most technicians are pursuing licenses with bachelor's and associate degrees.

Pros and Cons of a Certified Nurse Technician

Cons

• Long working hours.
• Fast-paced settings increase stress.
• The danger of injuries and violence.
• Prone to viral diseases and illness.
• Emotional pressure for dying and sick patients.

Pros

• Chance to gain more experience in the healthcare industry.
• Scheduling shifts flexibly.
• Opportunities for career progression.
• Stable employment and significant demand for nurses.
• Developing meaningful connections with families and patients.

Definition and role of a Certified Nurse Technician

The basic responsibility of a nurse technician is to provide basic healthcare and mobility assistance to the patient.

These responsibilities include helping patients eat, take baths, stand up, and personal grooming.

Cleaning the room, collecting body fluids, washing the bedpans, and changing bedsheets are some of the various other roles assigned to a nurse technician or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

Importance of Certified Nurse Technicians in healthcare settings

A nurse technician's duties are not limited to these as there is a wide range of responsibilities based on an individual, company, industry, or position.

Education and Training for Certified Nurse Technicians

Basic and advanced medical care and technician responsibilities for patient care technicians are included in the Certified Nurse Technician courses.

Anatomy, vital signs monitoring, drawing blood, medical terminologies, and managing prescriptions are the areas focused on these courses.

The courses are designed for certified nursing assistants who hold a certificate and for those who want to start a career in the healthcare field.

Clinical training and practical are part of these courses.

Required certifications and qualifications

Candidates applying for the certified nurse technician examination must have completed their high school degree and accredited training program.

There are requirements by some states including a background check, so candidates are suggested to check their state laws.

This table provides you the required information about a CNT’s qualification.

Required Education	Diploma or certificate
Courses	Phlebotomy, Anatomy, Medical Terminology, and Physiology.
Further Requirements	Background check of high school certificate, certificate of Certified Patient Care Technician or Assistant (CPCT/A).
Work Settings	Doctor’s office, hospital, shared living facility

Training programs and courses available

Registering as a student in this program often increases the chance of getting a job as a certified nurse technician in any hospital, medical center or a healthcare facility.

Several vocational schools and community colleges offer courses pertaining to this trade.

Clinical experience and hands-on training

It is evident from the fact that in some states, the CNT can continue inquiring further education in the same discipline.

In this way, the healthcare professional can retain credentials.

If enrolled in any vocational school or a community college, any job-related certification is acceptable for the future.

Job Responsibilities of Certified Nurse Technicians

As stated earlier on this article, the job responsibilities of this position encompass a lot of stuff, like:

Assisting nurses with patient care tasks

Nursing technicians may also be assigned the task of taking the vital signs and reading the Electronic Health Records (EHR) of the patients.

The major task, being a technician, is to perform scans and take blood samples of the patient.

Monitoring vital signs and patient conditions

While working in the healthcare facility, the certified nurse technician is mainly responsible for recording all the signs of a patient.

Administering medications and treatments under supervision

Depending on the patient’s condition, the CNT should provide necessary medication to the patient.

The medication should be provided after consulting the senior professionals.

Documenting patient information and maintaining records

All information relating to the patient like blood pressure, heartbeat, blood-sugar level should be recorded and maintained properly.

As a nursing technician, you might be assigned more tasks based on the restrictions by the state law:

• Assisting Nurses with patient care tasks.
• Oversee the memory unit within the building.
• Monitoring vital signs and patient conditions.
• Provide fast and quality care to patients in rehabilitation centers.
• Administering medications and treatments under supervision.
• Helping patients with ADN like skin care, transferring, changing bed sheets, and walking, etc.
• Helping patients with their daily life activities to provide them comfort.

Career Opportunities for Certified Nurse Technicians

Certified patient care assistants or certified nursing technicians are healthcare service providers for patients while working with registered nurses.

Usually, they help patients with feeding and washing patients who cannot do it themselves.

Employment settings for Certified Nurse Technicians

Certified nurse technicians can easily be hired at hospitals, medical centers, or any other healthcare facilities in the city.

If you’ve secured a more advanced degree, there is a probability of getting hired on a more valuable position.

Advancement opportunities and career paths

As a certified nurse technician, you can work at assisted living centers, hospitals, home medical care services, local government, and nursing homes.

This will enable you to offer health care services to patients who need medical care.

Such as, you can help patients in nursing homes and patients with surgery wounds care.

Moreover, it will be helpful to consider a career path that fits your employment role while searching for a job.

As a nurse technician, you might also advance to positions like supervisor to registered nurses.

You can also reach the nursing director position in the future.

Salary and benefits for Certified Nurse Technicians

On average, a certified nurse technician can earn up to 42,110 USD annually.

Bonuses and overtime are added to the annual pay scale figures.

Skills and Qualities of a Successful Certified Nurse Technician

Assisting patients to dress, bath, and eat are the basic tasks for a CNT.

A CNT can work with hospitals, clinics, healthcare agencies, long-term nursing facilities, and retirement communities as a healthcare technician.

CNTs play an important role in the healthcare team, mostly they are asked to take care of elderly patients.

If you are planning to pursue a career in this field but still doubt your skills, you should read the qualities mentioned below that a good nursing technician must have:

Strong communication and interpersonal skills

CNT must have good communication skills to effectively deliver the message to doctors, nurses, caseworkers, families, patients, and healthcare team members. A CNT must share their observation notes with concerned person. You have to give clear instructions, listen, and support the patients.

A nursing assistant must be considerate and empathetic. They must put themselves in others' shoes.

Attention to detail and ability to follow instructions

Observing the small details is the most important skill a CNT must have. Every little detail like patient health, hygiene, and comfort is important for the patient’s life. CNTs must report to the doctor about any new bruises or loss of appetite of the patient. These small observations act as a medium between the life and death of the patient.

Compassion and empathy towards patients

A compassionate, caring, and emotionally strong person is fit for the CNT profession. This emotionally demanding job requires taking care of patients who are struggling with their health. It is important to be strong and emotionally supportive of the patient and the family.

Ability to work in a fast-paced and demanding environment

It is an observation that the attitude of the personnel should be flexible due to the demanding nature of the position.

Certified Nurse Technicians must be patient, calm, and encouraging to help the patient in returning to a normal life.

Certification and Licensing Requirements for Certified Nurse Technicians

Getting a certificate or license to work as a CNT after completing the required training program.

A person who has completed a nursing program needs to get enrolled in a nursing program that leads to a license.

You can work as a nurse technician only when you have completed your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN).

You will study mathematics, communication, and anatomy courses in these programs.

You can also take other courses like child development, nursing theory, healthcare ethics, and clinical data analysis.

National certification exams for Certified Nurse Technicians

Things to know about the National Certified Patient Care Technician Test:

This examination consists of 100 questions including 20 pretest questions.

All 100 questions are divided into five healthcare areas:

• 11% infection control
• 14% phlebotomy
• 45% patient care
• 10% EKG
• 20% professional responsibility, compliance, and safety following HIPPA compliance.

There are various topics covered by each of these areas that are relevant to the clinical skills and knowledge that a CNT must have.

Moreover, more details are added to each subsection known as supporting knowledge which provides more in-depth knowledge about the topics.

Things to know about the Certified Patient Care Technician Test:

CPCT – Certified Patient Care Technician test costs 200 USD for a 2-year valid certificate.

This cost includes a one-time appearance in the test with study material, access to exam practice questions, resume revision, and job-hunting assistance.

AmbrdiA.com offers all the study material for free while choosing other agencies for test preparation will cost you 250USD for a year certification.

State-specific licensing requirements

You need to take one of the following two national associate tests:

• The certified patient care technician exam by the National Health Career Association or
• The National Certified Patient Care Technician test administered by the National Center for Competency Testing. 

These two examinations are nationally approved and offer a certificate after passing the examination.

You need to renew the license by continuing your education by applying for the certificate renewal test.

Moreover, different states impose different requirements that you need to fulfil such as getting a CAN certificate or background check of education.

Continuing Education and Professional Development for Certified Nurse Technicians

The term continuing education and professional development for certified nurse technicians refers to the continuous education activities.

It is crucial for the professionals working in the healthcare industry to stay up to date with the latest education and professional advancements in their fields.

Importance of staying updated with industry advancements

With every passing day, lots of developments are taking place at a fast and swift speed.

So, it becomes important to equip oneself with the relevant industry advancements.

Continuing Education Options For Certified Nurse Technicians

There are several continuing education options for certified nurse technicians.

These options vary from state to state.

It is better to check the relevant state authorities for advanced learning options.

Professional organizations and resources for career growth

There are various professional organizations for learning and advanced options in the nursing field.

A few are mentioned below:

• The National Student Nurses Association (NSNA)
• The National League for Nursing (NLN)
• Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN)

Job Outlook and Demand for Certified Nurse Technicians

According to various sources, the job outlook for nursing technicians is likely to stay at 5% during the 2021-2031 period.

It is likely that long-term job opportunities might pop up at various healthcare facilities for this trade.

Current and projected job market for Certified Nurse Technicians

As per a survey, this trade is likely to gain more popularity due to the ever-increasing trade of in-house medical assistance.

It is because the population of senior citizens is increasing and the demand for domestic assistance is increasing.

Factors contributing to the demand for Certified Nurse Technicians

The demand for domestic assistance to look after the senior population is one of the major contributing factors towards enhanced demand of a CNT.

Due to the global price hike of medical services, patients are prone to long-term care and affection, and can also receive treatment privately.

Conclusion

You are now qualified to work as a CNT – Certified Nurse Technician after completing the degree program and getting a completion certificate.

As a CPCT you can work with doctors, hospitals, and long-term patient care facilities.

You can also apply to advanced nursing programs with a PCT certificate.

AmbrdiA provides all the study material for free while choosing other agencies for test preparation will cost you 250USD for a year certification.

The grades of the CPCT program are valid for nursing associate bachelor’s programs but it depends on the program and schools you are choosing for advanced degree programs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)