Program Overview

Introduction to the Patient Care Associate Program

The Patient Care Associate Program (PCA) is designed to train multi-disciplinary technical workers to provide basic nursing assistant care as well as other skilled functions. Patient Care Associates, previously known as Patient Care Technicians, are employed in various healthcare settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, labs, and doctors' offices.

Program Details

The program at Queensborough Community College includes five core competencies:

• CPR- Basic Cardiac Life Support (AHX100) - $175
  • Must be AHA CPR certification
  • 8-hour American Heart Association for healthcare provider and professional rescuer
  • Includes adult, child, infant CPR, rescue breathing, and use of AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) course
• Medical Terminology & Body Systems (MBX 126) - $600
  • Pre-requisite for EKG and Phlebotomy
• EKG Technician (AHX170) - $1,150
• Phlebotomy Technician (AHX171) - $1,375
• Certified Nursing Assistant (NUX200) - $1,650
• Total program cost: $4,950

Program Structure and Certification

• Certified Nursing Assistant cannot be taken in the same semester as EKG and Phlebotomy.
• After completing the program, students can take the certification exam from the NHA and become a Certified Patient Care Associate (CPCA).

Field of Study

The program falls under the category of Health and Allied Services, preparing students for a career in patient care and associated technical fields.