PCT PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS
A patient care technician is preparing to perform documentation in a patients electronic
health record. Which of the following is an example of appropriate documentation by the
technician?
A.) the technician on the previous shift reports giving the patient a bath at 1600.
B.) The patient has a large, dark bowel movement at 1100.
C.) The Patient will receive an enema at 1700.
D.) The patient is upset because the nurse from the previous shift forgot to provide
breakfast. - ANSWERB.) The patient has a large, dark brown bowel movement at 1100.
Which of the following EKG findings differentiates accelerated idioventricular rhythm
from junctional rhythm?
A.) Accelerated idioventricular rhythm has P wave.
B.) The ventricular rate in accelerated idioventricular rhythm is slower than junctional
rhythm.
C.) junctional rhythm has P waves
D.) accelerated idioventricular rhythm has wide QRS complexes. - ANSWERD.)
Accelerated idioventricular rhythm has wide QRS complexes.
A patient care technician is caring for a patient whose has a stage 3 pressure ulcer.
Which of the following manifestations should the technician expect?
A.) The area forms a blister, and the epidermis peels away or cracks open
B.) The subcutaneous fat is visible, and there is drainage from the wound.
C.) The area appears as reddened skin that does not return to its initial color after
pressure is removed.
D.) The damaged tissue extends all the way through the tissues to the muscle. -
ANSWERB.) The subcutaneous fat is visible, and there is drainage from the wound.
Which of the following tubes should be collected first for dermal samples?
A.) lavender top
B.) green top
C.) red top
D.) light blue top - ANSWERA.) lavender top
A patient care technician is transferring a patient from a bed to a wheelchair using a
mechanical lift with a sling. As the patient is being transferred the technician should
place him in which of the following position?
A.) Sims
B.) Fowlers
C.) Lithotomy
D.) Trendelenburg - ANSWERB.) Fowler's
, A patient care technician is performing a routine venipuncture for a patient who
becomes pallid and diaphoretic. Which of the following conditions is this patient most
likely to experience?
A.) Syncope
B.) Seizure
C.) Nausea
D.) Shock - ANSWERA.) Syncope
A patient care technician is assisting a nurse to apply a hand-wrist immobility splint for a
patient who has left-sided paralysis due to a stroke. The technician should identify that
the splint will secure the patients hand and write in which of the following positions?
A.) wrist in slight dorsiflexion
B.) fingers in a extended position
C.) fingers rotated slightly in an external position
D.) thumb kept in close proximity to the index finger - ANSWERA.) wrist in slight
dorsiflexion
A patient care technician recently attended a seminar about hospice car. Which of the
following statements by the technician indicates an understanding of hospice care?
A.) "the cost of hospice care is reimbursed by Medicare or Medicaid"
B.) "many hospice agencies do not require patients to have a primary caregiver"
C.) "an immediate family member must accept responsibility for the patients care"
D.) "hospice care covers curative therapies prescribed by the health care provider" -
ANSWERA.) "the cost of hospice care is reimbursed by Medicare or Medicaid"
A patient care technician is preparing a peripheral blood smear on a slide. Which of the
following actions should the technician take?
A.) press down on the spreader slide to fix the cells on the lower slide
B.) Apply the spreader slide to the lower slide at a 60 degree angle
C.) verify that the smear covers about three-quarters of the slide
D.) apply blood to the clear portion of the slide - ANSWERC.) verify that the smear
covers about three-quarters of the slide
A patient care technician is caring for four patients. Which of the following should the
technician report to the nurse?
A.) a patient who has a blood glucose level of 190 mg/dL
B.) a patient who has a blood glucose level of 90 mg/dL
C.) a patient who has a blood glucose level of 100 mg/dL
D.) a patient who has a blood glucose level of 130 mg/dL - ANSWERA.) a patient who
has a blood glucose level of 190 mg/dL
A patient care technician is providing palliative care to a patient. The patients family
expresses feelings of anger and hopelessness. Which of the following actions should
the technician take?
A.) explain that anger is the first coping mechanism everyone experience during grief.
B.) refer the family to the charge nurse
ANSWERS
A patient care technician is preparing to perform documentation in a patients electronic
health record. Which of the following is an example of appropriate documentation by the
technician?
A.) the technician on the previous shift reports giving the patient a bath at 1600.
B.) The patient has a large, dark bowel movement at 1100.
C.) The Patient will receive an enema at 1700.
D.) The patient is upset because the nurse from the previous shift forgot to provide
breakfast. - ANSWERB.) The patient has a large, dark brown bowel movement at 1100.
Which of the following EKG findings differentiates accelerated idioventricular rhythm
from junctional rhythm?
A.) Accelerated idioventricular rhythm has P wave.
B.) The ventricular rate in accelerated idioventricular rhythm is slower than junctional
rhythm.
C.) junctional rhythm has P waves
D.) accelerated idioventricular rhythm has wide QRS complexes. - ANSWERD.)
Accelerated idioventricular rhythm has wide QRS complexes.
A patient care technician is caring for a patient whose has a stage 3 pressure ulcer.
Which of the following manifestations should the technician expect?
A.) The area forms a blister, and the epidermis peels away or cracks open
B.) The subcutaneous fat is visible, and there is drainage from the wound.
C.) The area appears as reddened skin that does not return to its initial color after
pressure is removed.
D.) The damaged tissue extends all the way through the tissues to the muscle. -
ANSWERB.) The subcutaneous fat is visible, and there is drainage from the wound.
Which of the following tubes should be collected first for dermal samples?
A.) lavender top
B.) green top
C.) red top
D.) light blue top - ANSWERA.) lavender top
A patient care technician is transferring a patient from a bed to a wheelchair using a
mechanical lift with a sling. As the patient is being transferred the technician should
place him in which of the following position?
A.) Sims
B.) Fowlers
C.) Lithotomy
D.) Trendelenburg - ANSWERB.) Fowler's
, A patient care technician is performing a routine venipuncture for a patient who
becomes pallid and diaphoretic. Which of the following conditions is this patient most
likely to experience?
A.) Syncope
B.) Seizure
C.) Nausea
D.) Shock - ANSWERA.) Syncope
A patient care technician is assisting a nurse to apply a hand-wrist immobility splint for a
patient who has left-sided paralysis due to a stroke. The technician should identify that
the splint will secure the patients hand and write in which of the following positions?
A.) wrist in slight dorsiflexion
B.) fingers in a extended position
C.) fingers rotated slightly in an external position
D.) thumb kept in close proximity to the index finger - ANSWERA.) wrist in slight
dorsiflexion
A patient care technician recently attended a seminar about hospice car. Which of the
following statements by the technician indicates an understanding of hospice care?
A.) "the cost of hospice care is reimbursed by Medicare or Medicaid"
B.) "many hospice agencies do not require patients to have a primary caregiver"
C.) "an immediate family member must accept responsibility for the patients care"
D.) "hospice care covers curative therapies prescribed by the health care provider" -
ANSWERA.) "the cost of hospice care is reimbursed by Medicare or Medicaid"
A patient care technician is preparing a peripheral blood smear on a slide. Which of the
following actions should the technician take?
A.) press down on the spreader slide to fix the cells on the lower slide
B.) Apply the spreader slide to the lower slide at a 60 degree angle
C.) verify that the smear covers about three-quarters of the slide
D.) apply blood to the clear portion of the slide - ANSWERC.) verify that the smear
covers about three-quarters of the slide
A patient care technician is caring for four patients. Which of the following should the
technician report to the nurse?
A.) a patient who has a blood glucose level of 190 mg/dL
B.) a patient who has a blood glucose level of 90 mg/dL
C.) a patient who has a blood glucose level of 100 mg/dL
D.) a patient who has a blood glucose level of 130 mg/dL - ANSWERA.) a patient who
has a blood glucose level of 190 mg/dL
A patient care technician is providing palliative care to a patient. The patients family
expresses feelings of anger and hopelessness. Which of the following actions should
the technician take?
A.) explain that anger is the first coping mechanism everyone experience during grief.
B.) refer the family to the charge nurse
