BMH's Patient Care Tech to RN Program

While you’re in school to become a registered nurse, would you want to make more money with a flexible schedule, gain hands-on experience, be at the top of the list for a job upon graduation, and learn invaluable career skills? With Blue Mountain Hospital’s Patient Care Technician to Registered Nurse program, you can!

When Blue Mountain Hospital opened, there were a handful of technicians that assisted the nurses. They didn't have any official job title or description, but they were helping with the flow and management of the patient load. This role became so important to the function of Blue Mountain Hospital that we quickly realized that we couldn’t function without them.

“These techs were, and still are, like setters on a volleyball team. They take the ball first and have control over the speed or pace of the patient registration and patient experience,” said Cari Spillman, Compliance Program Manager and former overseer of the program.

The Patient Care Technician to Registered Nurse program began because we realized these technicians had higher aspirations of becoming registered nurses and they were having to leave our staff to finish their degree. BMH wanted to help our employees reach their goals, enhance the nursing services that are offered in the community, and (selfishly) allow our technicians to continue working at the hospital while they went to school and have talented nurses join the team after they graduate.

Blue Mountain Hospital is very proud of the benefits that this program offers. While participating in the program, you can:

• Continue to work as a patient care technician at a higher wage while you are in school
• Have a flexible work schedule that accommodates your class load
• Work with patients, nurses, and doctors first hand to learn about how they operate
• Gain life-changing and invaluable hands-on experience
• Practice what you are learning in class in a real environment
• Raise your confidence level and have an advantage over your peers
• Be considered at the highest level for open positions available upon graduation

“The Patient Care to RN program gives me the opportunity to work in a very active healthcare environment that has proven to be beneficial to not only my career but also my education. I learn best from doing something firsthand and not so much when reading it from a textbook, and this program has given me valuable hands-on experience,” said Remington Perkins, current PCT to RC program student.

If you are interested in the program, here is how you can join us. Blue Mountain Hospital hosts one or two programs a year depending on the number of applicants. LPNs can apply as they progress to patient care technicians and patient care technicians can apply as they progress to a registered nurses. If you are accepted, you have eighteen (18) months to finish your school program.

“I would definitely recommend the program to students as it has helped me have more confidence in myself. As an ER tech, we do an initial assessment before the nurses and physicians, so this is a perfect opportunity to learn basic skills,” said Shannon Whitehair, a previous participant in the program.

For more information on the program and how to apply, please reach out to Sulane Knight at sknight@bmhutah.org.