Interview Questions to Hire Patient Care Technicians

Patient care technicians work in various healthcare settings to provide basic nursing duties and assistance to patients. They often have a background in healthcare education, but some candidates graduate from specially certified courses. 

They can work in various departments, but all must be CPR trained and have basic lifesaving skills certifications. PCTs interact with patients, so they should demonstrate strong communication skills, be kind and caring in nature and have a strong understanding of patient confidentiality guidelines.

Skill-based questions

It is good practice to ask various types of questions, including skill-based, role-specific, behavioral and situational questions, to identify strong candidates.

• What types of medical tasks are you most confident in carrying out?
• What is your favorite part about working as a PCT?
• What is the most important thing to confirm with patients when you first treat them?
• How do you record patient information?
• How do you reassure patients?
• Why is critical thinking important as a PCT?

Situational & Behavioural questions

• You are faced with a patient who is upset or is being difficult, what do you do?
• If the PCT who was due to relieve you of your shift called in sick, what would you do?
• You work with people in various age groups, how do you tailor the care you give to different people of different ages?
• Tell me why patient confidentiality is important and what you can do to ensure it.
• Before giving or administering medication to a patient you have not treated before, what is the most important thing you should do?

General Questions

• What are some things you would like to achieve in your patient care technician career within the next five years?
• What have you done in your career so far to learn and develop yourself professionally?
• Why did you decide to enter the healthcare industry?
• What are the top three skills you have that you think you can transfer to this role?
• Why have you applied for this role, how do you think you will benefit from working in the role?

Conclusion

The questions above will help you to identify quality candidates who are going through your recruitment process. Remember to look for candidates who demonstrate strong communication skills along with the ability to think critically, be fast on their feet and demonstrate great patient care.