Patient Care Technician – Certificate

The patient care tech program provides students with the training needed to provide basic care to patients in a hospital or nursing home setting. Upon completion, students will be eligible to take the national certification exam.

Minimum credits: 23
Minimum cumulative GPA: 2.0
Minimum grade in all courses: 2.0
Minimum Jackson College credits:

Core Requirements

Take the following

Course # Course Name Credits Prerequisites Notes
HOC 110 Advanced First Aid & American Heart CPR 2

This course provides instruction in adult, child and infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation, as well as advanced first aid. It is designed to prepare an individual to handle medical or accidental emergencies until professional help arrives or until the victim can seek help, and to handle minor injuries that do not require professional assistance. Upon successful completion of this course, the student is qualified to receive CPR and Advanced First Aid certificates through the American Heart Association (AHA) and American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS).

HOC 135 Electrocardiography Technician 4 ENG 085* and MAT 020* or higher

This course will consist of an overview of the cardiovascular system, proper documentation and vital signs, along with HIPAA compliance and infection control in the clinical setting. The main focus of this course will be on how to perform and analyze an EKG and recognize various arrhythmias. Students will also learn about exercise electrocardiography and how to perform ambulatory monitoring. The course will also include extensive instruction on cardiovascular pharmacology.

HOC 145 Phlebotomy Technician 4 ENG 085* and MAT 020* or higher

This course will prepare students for performing phlebotomy procedures in a variety of healthcare settings. Students will learn about the roles and responsibilities of the phlebotomist which will include infection control procedures, legal and ethics issues, working with special populations and situations, and proper specimen collection and handling procedures. The focus will be on performing venipuncture and capillary procedures properly to obtain specimens for various laboratory testing.

HOC 150 Electronic Health Records Specialist 3 ENG 085 and MAT 020 or Higher, CIS 095

This course provides students with skills necessary to work with Electronic Health Records. This course is ideal for those currently working in the health field or those looking to enter into a health-related program who are hoping to learn more about key concepts and the use of Electronic Health Records in the medical setting. Topics include the cost and needs to consider when implementing an EHR system, how to utilize an EHR system to meet government requirements and medical practice needs, and practical application of various EHR tasks. The course will also cover basic medical terminology and basic medical coding principles. Students who complete this course with a passing grade will be eligible to sit for the Certified Electronic Health Record Specialist exam.

MED 125 Intro to Body Systems 3

This course provides an overview of the anatomy of each body system in relation to the field of medical assisting.

MED 132 Foundations of Clinical Practice 3

This course provides students with an introduction to the medical assistant profession along with basic clinical skills such as aseptic techniques and hand washing, OSHA & blood borne pathogen training, vitals, patient communication, along with nutrition and healthy living.

MOA 112 Medical Law and Ethics 3 CIS 095* and ENG 090*

Principles and concepts of medical law and bioethics, as well as an overview of health care financing through third party payers are the main focus of this course. Topics include: medical practice management, medical law, liability and malpractice prevention, health information management, HIPAA and confidentiality of patient information, employment practices, consent, billing collections, insurance and government healthcare programs, codes of ethics and contemporary bioethical issues.

MOA 120 Medical Terminology 3 ENG 085*

A programmed learning word building system approach is used to teach basic medical terminology word roots, prefixes, suffixes, language origins, plural formation and grammar rules are studied. Emphasis is placed on word building, definitions, spelling, usage, pronunciation and acceptable medical abbreviations.

** If you have a CENA license you do not need to take MED 132.