TSC Patient Care Technicians celebrate milestone

Texas Southmost College celebrated a milestone achievement for students in its Patient Care Technician program with an official pinning ceremony on Tuesday, February 20, 2024.

Ten students were honored as part of the ceremony, joined by their family members and TSC faculty and administration at TSC’s International Technology, Education, and Commerce Center (ITECC).

Ms. Jennifer Treviño, an instructor for TSC’s Vocational Nursing program, addressed the graduates before leading them in the recitation of the Nightingale Pledge. Since 1893, the pledge is an oath taken by new nurses in which they swear to uphold the ethics and principles that define the nursing profession.

Patient Care Technicians (PCTs) have become increasingly in demand within the medical field. PCTs begin with training in the same general skills of a nursing assistant, but the overall diversity of their skill set is continually expanded upon to provide them with more experience in an array of different areas and tasks.

Most often, working directly under a registered nurse, a PCT can handle tasks that typically include monitoring patient vital signs, helping collect and prepare lab specimens, and, in some cases, even assisting minor surgical procedures by preparing sterile trays or performing sterilization procedures for surgical instruments.

As part of their curriculum, the students who participated in the PCT program gained valuable hands-on experience at Valley Regional Medical Hospital, which served as the site for their clinicals. While there, they not only had the opportunity to put into practice what they had been learning in the classroom portion of their studies, but they also were given experience in the more nuanced aspects of work in the medical field. One such aspect is building rapport with the patients under their care, allowing them to provide medical and emotional support to those enduring the recovery process.

We extend our most sincere congratulations to our newest group of graduates, and we wish you the best as you begin your careers as health professionals and work to impact the lives of people in our community positively!

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