Patient Care Technician Vocabulary -
Notecards to be made
CDC - ANS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Needlestick - ANS Injury caused by a needle, common in healthcare settings
Stage III Pressure Ulcer - ANS Visible subcutaneous fat and wound drainage.
Large U Waves - ANS Visible on EKG with decreased potassium levels.
Holter Monitor Use - ANS Avoid metal detectors while wearing the monitor.
Ambulatory Monitor Purpose - ANS Longer heart study over 24-48 hours during daily activities.
NG Tube Enteral Nutrition - ANS May cause throat irritation and displacement risk.
Sentinel Event Reporting - ANS Report to The Joint Commission for unexpected serious incidents.
Child Maltreatment Signs - ANS Malnutrition, poor hygiene, bruising, and injuries.
Low Oxygen Saturation - ANS Report oximetry below 95% to a nurse immediately.
Pressure Ulcer Prevention - ANS Reposition patient every 2 hours to avoid ulcers.
Hospice care reimbursement - ANS Covered by Medicare or Medicaid
,CLIA purpose - ANS Establishing quality standards for lab testing on human specimens
Dehydration symptoms - ANS Dark yellow urine, dry mouth, decreased output
Dorsiflexion - ANS Ankle motion involving flexing toes upward
Serosanguineous drainage - ANS Thin, watery, reddish wound exudate
Chain of custody - ANS Ensures identification and integrity of samples.
Edema - ANS Swelling in the legs and feet, a sign of congestive heart failure.
Blood pressure measurement - ANS Releasing all air from the cuff before retesting for accuracy.
IV catheter removal - ANS Hold gauze over the site and clean with saline before removal.
Arm position and BP measurement - ANS Inaccurate reading if arm is above heart level.
Infant specimen collection - ANS Collect O2 levels first when infant is in a resting state.
Patients' Bill of Rights - ANS Guarantees patient involvement in care decisions and other rights
Workplace violence definition - ANS Includes emotional maltreatment, verbal abuse, sexual harassment,
physical assault
,Fire extinguisher operation - ANS Using PASS acronym: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep
Open bed preparation - ANS Fanfolding top linens at the foot of the bed for easy access
Skull and Crossbones Symbol - ANS Indicates acute toxicity in disinfectant
Infection Control Program - ANS Required by The Joint Commission (TJC)
Antiembolism Stockings - ANS Prescribed to reduce deep-vein thrombosis risk
A PCT is caring for a patient who has died, what should be done? - ANS Secure any of the patient's
valuables.
The technician should secure any of the patient's valuables, including rings, watches, or money, for
delivery to the patient's family.
Which actions should a patient care technician take when discharging a patient? - ANS Escort the patient
using a wheelchair.
A PCT is in the cafeteria during lunch and sees a visitor that appears to be choking. What should the tech
do first? - ANS Ask the visitor if she is able to speak.
The first action the technician should take is to verify if the visitor is able to speak. If the visitor is unable
to speak, her airway is obstructed and emergency treatment is necessary.
If a patient has an ileostomy, what type of stool should the technician expect to observe in the ostomy
pouch? - ANS Liquid. Feces in the ileum is typically liquid and acidic, and can be irritating if it comes into
contact with the surrounding skin.
What is the minimum preferred volume of urine for routine urinalysis? - ANS 30mL
, Who should unethical behavior of a coworker be reported to? - ANS The Charge nurse
If PCT is caring for a 4-year-old reports pain in the right arm. What should be used to measure the pain
intensity? - ANS Ask the child to point to the drawing of the face that matches their pain level.
The technician should identify that the Wong-Baker FACES pain scale should be used to identify pain
intensity for a 4-year-old child.
If a PCT is preparing to ambulate a patient who is at increased risk for falls, How should the technician
respond to a patient saying " Why do you have to place a belt around me"? - ANS Gait belts are an
added safety feature when assisting patients to walk."
The technician should explain to the patient that gait belts are used to assist with safe ambulation.
If a PCT is assisting with the admission of a patient with hearing loss, What actions should the tech take
when communicating with the patient? - ANS Write questions and instructions on a notepad for the
patient.
If a PCT just obtained a 12-lead EKG from a patient, When should the tech clean and disinfect the EKG
equipment? - ANS Immediately after obtaining an EKG for a patient, the technician should clean the
leads, the lead wires, and the EKG machine, wiping the cables and electrode clips with a disinfectant. If
the patient had a known infectious disease, the technician should follow any additional procedures the
facility recommends for disinfection.
A PCT is assisting a nurse to apply a hand-wrist immobility splint for a patient who has left-sided
paralysis due to a stroke. The tech should know which position of the splint should be secure for the
hand and wrist, which is? - ANS Wrist in slight dorsiflexion (upward motion)
A PCT should identify, according to the CDC's standard precautions, gloves are required for what? - ANS
Handling linen that is soiled with blood
The technician should wear gloves whenever there is a possibility of contact with a patient's blood or
bodily fluids.
Notecards to be made
CDC - ANS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Needlestick - ANS Injury caused by a needle, common in healthcare settings
Stage III Pressure Ulcer - ANS Visible subcutaneous fat and wound drainage.
Large U Waves - ANS Visible on EKG with decreased potassium levels.
Holter Monitor Use - ANS Avoid metal detectors while wearing the monitor.
Ambulatory Monitor Purpose - ANS Longer heart study over 24-48 hours during daily activities.
NG Tube Enteral Nutrition - ANS May cause throat irritation and displacement risk.
Sentinel Event Reporting - ANS Report to The Joint Commission for unexpected serious incidents.
Child Maltreatment Signs - ANS Malnutrition, poor hygiene, bruising, and injuries.
Low Oxygen Saturation - ANS Report oximetry below 95% to a nurse immediately.
Pressure Ulcer Prevention - ANS Reposition patient every 2 hours to avoid ulcers.
Hospice care reimbursement - ANS Covered by Medicare or Medicaid
,CLIA purpose - ANS Establishing quality standards for lab testing on human specimens
Dehydration symptoms - ANS Dark yellow urine, dry mouth, decreased output
Dorsiflexion - ANS Ankle motion involving flexing toes upward
Serosanguineous drainage - ANS Thin, watery, reddish wound exudate
Chain of custody - ANS Ensures identification and integrity of samples.
Edema - ANS Swelling in the legs and feet, a sign of congestive heart failure.
Blood pressure measurement - ANS Releasing all air from the cuff before retesting for accuracy.
IV catheter removal - ANS Hold gauze over the site and clean with saline before removal.
Arm position and BP measurement - ANS Inaccurate reading if arm is above heart level.
Infant specimen collection - ANS Collect O2 levels first when infant is in a resting state.
Patients' Bill of Rights - ANS Guarantees patient involvement in care decisions and other rights
Workplace violence definition - ANS Includes emotional maltreatment, verbal abuse, sexual harassment,
physical assault
,Fire extinguisher operation - ANS Using PASS acronym: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep
Open bed preparation - ANS Fanfolding top linens at the foot of the bed for easy access
Skull and Crossbones Symbol - ANS Indicates acute toxicity in disinfectant
Infection Control Program - ANS Required by The Joint Commission (TJC)
Antiembolism Stockings - ANS Prescribed to reduce deep-vein thrombosis risk
A PCT is caring for a patient who has died, what should be done? - ANS Secure any of the patient's
valuables.
The technician should secure any of the patient's valuables, including rings, watches, or money, for
delivery to the patient's family.
Which actions should a patient care technician take when discharging a patient? - ANS Escort the patient
using a wheelchair.
A PCT is in the cafeteria during lunch and sees a visitor that appears to be choking. What should the tech
do first? - ANS Ask the visitor if she is able to speak.
The first action the technician should take is to verify if the visitor is able to speak. If the visitor is unable
to speak, her airway is obstructed and emergency treatment is necessary.
If a patient has an ileostomy, what type of stool should the technician expect to observe in the ostomy
pouch? - ANS Liquid. Feces in the ileum is typically liquid and acidic, and can be irritating if it comes into
contact with the surrounding skin.
What is the minimum preferred volume of urine for routine urinalysis? - ANS 30mL
, Who should unethical behavior of a coworker be reported to? - ANS The Charge nurse
If PCT is caring for a 4-year-old reports pain in the right arm. What should be used to measure the pain
intensity? - ANS Ask the child to point to the drawing of the face that matches their pain level.
The technician should identify that the Wong-Baker FACES pain scale should be used to identify pain
intensity for a 4-year-old child.
If a PCT is preparing to ambulate a patient who is at increased risk for falls, How should the technician
respond to a patient saying " Why do you have to place a belt around me"? - ANS Gait belts are an
added safety feature when assisting patients to walk."
The technician should explain to the patient that gait belts are used to assist with safe ambulation.
If a PCT is assisting with the admission of a patient with hearing loss, What actions should the tech take
when communicating with the patient? - ANS Write questions and instructions on a notepad for the
patient.
If a PCT just obtained a 12-lead EKG from a patient, When should the tech clean and disinfect the EKG
equipment? - ANS Immediately after obtaining an EKG for a patient, the technician should clean the
leads, the lead wires, and the EKG machine, wiping the cables and electrode clips with a disinfectant. If
the patient had a known infectious disease, the technician should follow any additional procedures the
facility recommends for disinfection.
A PCT is assisting a nurse to apply a hand-wrist immobility splint for a patient who has left-sided
paralysis due to a stroke. The tech should know which position of the splint should be secure for the
hand and wrist, which is? - ANS Wrist in slight dorsiflexion (upward motion)
A PCT should identify, according to the CDC's standard precautions, gloves are required for what? - ANS
Handling linen that is soiled with blood
The technician should wear gloves whenever there is a possibility of contact with a patient's blood or
bodily fluids.
