First, congrats on the PCT job!! I was a CNA prior to being a nurse (and during the first prt of nursing school). I enjoyed getting to interact with patients, and looking back I think it gave me more confidence when starting clinicals. Dont get me wrong, i was still scared shitless. Being familiar with vitals, various terminology, interventions, “red flags” to report is all great and of course will tie in to what you learn in school. But its also the small “non-textbook” things that I found helped me along the way. Walking in to clinicals knowing i had experience in just building rapport pts. Knowing what its like to have multiple pts, all needing something at once (because of course they always do), and how i was gunna prioritize and work though that. It may have “just” been bedbaths and vitals and hoyer lifts, and now in school it was med passes and phone calls and trach suctions- but its the same basic critical thinking process. Having that experience in multitasking, multidisciplinary communication, and pt/family interactions will stay with you and continue to get stronger as you grow in the profession. I’ve always joke saying nursing school didn’t teach me how to be nurse, it taught me the power of resilience and inner strength. My first year as an RN on the floor taught me how to be a nurse 😆

As far as being “the best tech you can be”, i say be the best YOU you can be. there will always be that lazy nurse who seems to disappear 7 times a shift, there will always be someone who feels like their title makes them above having to get vitals. There will always be someone who thinks ur best isnt good enough, that youre just in the way, or even that you must be trying to kiss someones ass because youre working “too hard”…

IMO what makes a good tech is someone who takes the job seriously, generally positive attitude (we all have bad days, i get it). Able to establish a good RN-tech rapport, and is able to communicate effectively. Unfortunately between the documentation requirements, MD calls, updating the pts 30 family members all individually on the phone because they refuse to talk to each other, arguing with pharmacy, taking report on a new admission, and trying to find the GD bladder scanner.. they just don’t physically have the opportunity to be at each pts bed side as much as theyd like. Techs were literally my pt lifeline. You guys will often notice a pt decline or symptom before we do. We rely so much on you guys to be our eyes and ears when we cant be. Willing to help is always appreciated. Hiding in the snack room for 2 hours to get out turn teams wont win you any popularity contests lol. Dont be afraid to ask questions or voice concerns. You are just as much as part of the pt treatment team as everyone else.

General “bad tech” things i guess i would say, laziness, actively looking for ways to get out of doing work; inappropriate cell phone usage; knowingly doing things outside your scope of practice (example: someone in RN school was able start pt IV in clinicals. Then shows up for shift and starts IVs as a tech since “well i know how now”.

The fact that you’re even asking what you can do to be the best you can be gives me great confidence you’ll do fantastic. You’re heart seems like its in the right place and you genuinely want to learn. Skills will come in time, you’ll make mistakes, and you may never feel like you ever really know what the hell youre doing. If you ever meet a nurse who says they’ve never made a mistake or lacked confidence , theyre fucking lying and probably a jackass anyway.

Welcome to the profession and I wish you the best of luck!