How to Become a Patient Care Technician in Minnesota

If you need to climb the career ladder in Minnesota, take the advice of Everyday Millionaire author Chris Hogan.

He advises using medical careers such as Certified Nurse Assistant or Patient Care Technician to reach the next comma in your annual salary.

For example, use your Minnesota patient care technician career to take yourself from no-fives or low fives to high-fives or more.

Job Description

Michigan’s patient care technicians draw blood, insert and remove catheters and IVs, and administer EKGs.

They reach, carry, push or pull equipment during their day and bend, twist, or turn.

Technicians lift patients from bed to chair or wheelchair, onto or off exam tables and gurneys.

Minnesota Patient Care Technician Industry Information

Minnesota has delegated nursing.

Registered and Licensed Practical Nurses, Physician Assistants, and Nurse Practitioners delegate routine, repetitive medical tasks to unlicensed assistive persons such as patient care technicians.

However, the state does not have CPCT training programs.

Instead, attend out-of-state programs or train as a nurse assistant. Include EKG or phlebotomy to bridge the skills gap.

Six Schools in Minnesota for Aspiring Patient Care Technicians

Although other programs exist in Minnesota, the following cost the least, take less time to complete or both:

1. NPS Certified Patient Care Technician Exam

If you already have the prerequisite one year’s experience and prefer self-directed or on-the-job learning, take the Certified Patient Care Technician Exam for $150.

The cost includes:

• All necessary study materials,
• Unlimited practice exams,
• Three attempts at the final exam,
• An academic advisor to guide your progress during regular business hours,
• Feedback on your weak points after every practice exam, cross-referenced to the study guide.
• Job placement services

2. Accelerated School of Nursing Assistant

Located at 6818 Humboldt Avenue North in Minneapolis, this three-week accelerated nursing assistant program offers day, evening, and weekend classes with Registered Nurse Mitch Dorbor.

This program’s $1000 cost includes:

• $950 for tuition and fees,
• $25 for registration,
• $25 for a criminal background check.

In addition, low-income students may receive tuition assistance, uniforms, job placement, career advising, bus passes, and gas cards.

All students may eventually receive reimbursement from their employer, so keep all receipts.

3. Scrubs Academy

Accepting students as young as age 16, Scrubs Academy, located at 3735 Roosevelt Road in Saint Cloud, provides a jump-start on a lucrative lifelong career.

The $999 price includes:

• 80 hours of virtual, classroom, and supervised hands-on clinical training
• Textbooks and course materials
• Elder care focus

Additional costs include $215 for the Minnesota Certification Test Out with optional employer reimbursement, so do not discard receipts.

In addition, you may need to enroll in an EKG or venipuncture training program after graduation to gain the relevant clinical experiences required of a patient care technician, doubling costs.

4. Heart Cert Nursing and EKG Training Programs

Combining these two programs lets students immediately qualify as patient care technicians in Minnesota once they pass the required state exams.

Everything else will take place online, including the entire EKG training course.

The CNA class cost varies by location, $1150 in Mankato, $1250 in Duluth, and $1500 in Minneapolis and Egan

The EKG training class, however, costs $199.

As always, save your receipts for possible employer reimbursement.

5. Prime Time Medical Training CNA Program

This hybrid program in Spring Lake Park at 1342 81st Avenue NE features four options: 4-week day and evening programs, six weekends, or a quarterly, three-week accelerated course of study.

The daytime Skills Lab meets from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM, while the evening class meets from 4:30 PM to 9:30 PM.

Your $1250 tuition includes:

• First-try State Nursing Exam fee
• American Heart Association CPR-BLS training
• All textbooks and course materials
• Reserved seat for the State Certification exam
• Possible financial aid through the LET scholarship fund
• Possible tuition reimbursement

The $500 Luvenia Elizabeth Tubman (LET) scholarship requires applicants to write a single-page essay stating their desire to be a CNA and detailing how these funds will help them complete their education.

6. Pathway Careers Training Center

Located at 2336 Central Avenue NE in Minneapolis, Pathways offers training to become Certified Phlebotomy Technicians and Certified Nursing Assistants.

The $1000 price of the CNA program includes:

• Tuition
• Four weeks of training
• One attempt to pass the Certification Exam
• All necessary textbooks and course materials
• CPR-BLS training

The CPT course costs $1500 and assumes you have an up-to-date CPR certification card.

If not, the CPR-BLS course costs another $50.

Participants in either program must have reached age 18, completed high school, or obtained their GED.

In addition, CNA students must undergo a background check and have a negative TB test.

Patient Care Technician Schools in Minnesota – Summary Table

Gopher State Experience and Salary Expectations

Expect an average salary of $35,324 for patient care technicians in Minnesota, about right for nursing assistant duties but somewhat low for anyone with a phlebotomy or EKG background.

Regional Salary in Minnesota

PCT Schools by City

PCT Schools by State