PA PCE OR HCE

[Erikac101]

Hello everyone, i had a question regarding pce and hce, i currently work as a cna/rehab aide and was presented the opportunity to work in family case management that would deal with helping place pregnant women in homes, scheduling wellness check ups, and organizing baby showers for them. Would this qualify as pce or hce?? Please help me out!

[KuchiKopi]

It doesn't sound like hands on patient care so I wouldn't call it PCE. If anything I'd call it HCE if its going to count for anything. Unless you have a few thousand hours of PCE already then i'd stay a CNA...i understand doing what makes you happy is part of it, but if it was to get into school then i'd stay a cna

But that's me! Good luck

Edited July 14, 2020 by Kirby219

[Laybunny]

I don't think it sounds like PCE because you aren't performing direct, hands-on care for patients. It might be considered HCE. If it helps, you can always email the programs you are interested with a job description and ask. But generally PCE involves being responsible for patients and performing some kind of hands-on care (transferring patients, taking vital signs, administering medications, etc). CNA is almost universally considered PCE, so if your goal is to gain PCE hours, then it's best to stay as a CNA.

Edited July 14, 2020 by Laybunny

[dukkulisur]

The CASPA definitions for PCE and HCE may be helpful here. 

CASPA defines PCE as "experiences in which you are directly responsible for a patient's care. For example, prescribing medication, performing procedures, directing a course of treatment, designing a treatment regimen, actively working on patients as a nurse, paramedic, EMT, CNA, phlebotomist, physical therapist, dental hygienist, etc."  The case management position you describe doesn't sound like it fits this definition.

CASPA defines HCE as "both paid and unpaid work in a health or health-related field where you are not directly responsible for a patient's care, but may still have patient interaction; for example, filling prescriptions, performing clerical work, delivering patient food, cleaning patients and/or their rooms, administering food or medication, taking vitals or other record keeping information, working as a scribe, CNA (depending on job description), medical assistant, etc."  The case management position you describe sounds like it might fit this definition, but it's hard to tell based on the limited information provided.

As an aside, I will add that PCE does not necessarily require literal "hands-on" touching and physical manipulation of patients as is sometimes suggested.  For example, although I do not normally have much physical contact with patients beyond shaking hands and performing the occasional anthropometric measurement, as a Registered Dietitian working in a clinical setting I am still responsible for performing assessments, developing plans of care, providing education/counseling, and managing diet orders, oral supplement orders, and certain nutrition-related medications, all of which counts as PCE despite the absence of actual physical contact.  The key here is direct clinical decision-making responsibility for some aspect of the patient's care (in my case, that which pertains to nutritional status).

Hope that helps.  Good luck!

[ceejthefuturePA]

Hi everyone! 

Would vascular sonography count as a direct patient care experience? 

"Vascular Sonography Technologists are important members of the vascular team. They work closely with radiologists, cardiologists, and surgeons. Vascular technologists assist physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of disorders affecting the vascular system. Vascular technologists perform non-invasive vascular exams in order to assess for vascular disease or disorders."

"They are unique in the medical imaging profession because they work with a high level of independence. One of the biggest responsibilities of a vascular technologist is to compile information that is gathered on an exam to give a preliminary impression. To do this, the vascular technologist must have adequate training in vascular scanning techniques as well as have knowledge about vascular disease. A thorough patient history must be taken to correlate the findings of the exam. Once the exam is finished, they will report directly to a physician with the results.

The vascular sonography technologist is also responsible for providing patient care and safety throughout the exam. They should know how to respond appropriately in emergency situations."

 

[Laybunny]

28 minutes ago, ceejthefuturePA said:

Hi everyone! 

Would vascular sonography count as a direct patient care experience? 

"Vascular Sonography Technologists are important members of the vascular team. They work closely with radiologists, cardiologists, and surgeons. Vascular technologists assist physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of disorders affecting the vascular system. Vascular technologists perform non-invasive vascular exams in order to assess for vascular disease or disorders."

"They are unique in the medical imaging profession because they work with a high level of independence. One of the biggest responsibilities of a vascular technologist is to compile information that is gathered on an exam to give a preliminary impression. To do this, the vascular technologist must have adequate training in vascular scanning techniques as well as have knowledge about vascular disease. A thorough patient history must be taken to correlate the findings of the exam. Once the exam is finished, they will report directly to a physician with the results.

The vascular sonography technologist is also responsible for providing patient care and safety throughout the exam. They should know how to respond appropriately in emergency situations."

 

Based on this, I would think it is PCE. It states that you are responsible for providing patient care and that you perform exams, which both suggest to me that this is likely PCE. However, seeing as it's not a commonly used experience, I would strongly recommend emailing your programs directly with your job description and asking them. They will be able to explain what they look for more than the people on this forum, and every program is different.

[KuchiKopi]

30 minutes ago, ceejthefuturePA said:

Hi everyone! 

Would vascular sonography count as a direct patient care experience? 

"Vascular Sonography Technologists are important members of the vascular team. They work closely with radiologists, cardiologists, and surgeons. Vascular technologists assist physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of disorders affecting the vascular system. Vascular technologists perform non-invasive vascular exams in order to assess for vascular disease or disorders."

"They are unique in the medical imaging profession because they work with a high level of independence. One of the biggest responsibilities of a vascular technologist is to compile information that is gathered on an exam to give a preliminary impression. To do this, the vascular technologist must have adequate training in vascular scanning techniques as well as have knowledge about vascular disease. A thorough patient history must be taken to correlate the findings of the exam. Once the exam is finished, they will report directly to a physician with the results.

The vascular sonography technologist is also responsible for providing patient care and safety throughout the exam. They should know how to respond appropriately in emergency situations."

 

Vascular techs and/or ultrasound techs would most likely be PCE. If the schools ranks the PCE then i feel it would be somewhere between a CNA and MA. Some schools don't weigh PCE but they are usually open and upfront about it! Good luck!