Nursing student wearing a surgical mask, preparing to administer a vaccination.

Nursing Technician Program

The Nursing Technician program is run through Washington State itself. A nursing technician (NTEC) is a nursing student preparing for RN licensure who meets the qualifications for licensure under RCW 18.79.340.

It was authorized by the Washington State Legislature in 2003 and authorized in RCW 18.79. Rules were promulgated as WAC 246-840. The legislative intent of the program was to “…provide additional work-related opportunities for nursing students enrolled in an ADN or BSN program, within the limits of their education, to gain valuable judgement and knowledge through expanded work opportunities.”

Why nurse tech?

“Working as a nurse tech has enhanced my confidence by enabling me to build foundational skills in patient care, communication, and time management. The nurse tech program allowed me to apply didactic knowledge to real life scenarios, better preparing me for my future career in the field. Overall, this program has been the best bridge from nursing assistant, student nurse, to registered nurse by advancing my confidence on the floors.”

-Noelani Kahoopii
“Having the opportunity to work as a nurse tech has helped my knowledge as a nursing student and has boosted my confidence. I have been able to learn more than I can during clinicals since there are more opportunities to work with patients in different settings.  Initially I was worried about how the nurses would treat me, but I was pleasantly surprised that they were grateful for my help and wanted to give me opportunities to learn. 

I’m currently on my fourth rotation as a nurse tech and have enjoyed each area I’ve worked in, even if they are not areas that I see myself working long term. Having the ability to try different areas of the hospital has helped me to decide which areas I’m interested in working in when I graduate.”

-Katrina Nebel

“The nurse tech program was very beneficial as it allowed me to get the hands-on experience I needed to feel more confident and comfortable in the hospital. The program also enabled me to visit different floors and specialty units which helped me discover what kind of nursing I wanted to get into. Due to this amazing opportunity, I was able to secure a job at one of my favorite units right out of nursing school! I believe that the nurse tech program has helped kickstart my nursing career.”

-Makayla Connolly
“One thing I have loved about the nurse tech position was how all the nurses on the floor invited me to see how different procedures are done and they gave me extra tips and tricks that I hadn’t yet learned in school. I started the nurse tech job in my J2 semester and found that the med-surg floor gave me so many opportunities for learning and seeing disease processes play out in patients (and the things that are done to help patients). This level of application has been invaluable to my learning experience! It brings the hypothetical didactic learning into the real world where there are stories and experiences to make sense of the content being learned.”

-Briele Mongrain
“The Sacred Heart nurse tech program has been an incredibly valuable experience for me. I’ve built meaningful connections and gained confidence in my skills, which makes me feel truly prepared to step into my role as a nurse. The flexible scheduling also makes it very manageable alongside nursing school.”

-Alyssa Martindale
“My time as a nurse tech has allowed me to apply my skills and knowledge in the clinical setting. Being a nurse tech integrated me into the healthcare team, provided me with opportunities, and the support to succeed in my future nursing career. The hands-on experience boosted my clinical confidence and simultaneously acted as a strong bridge to RN independence with a safety net.”

-Lindsey Palmquist

Process

The Student is responsible for:

  1. Applying for Nurse Technician (NTEC) position with a facility.
  2. Applying for NTEC license through the Washington State Board of Nursing (WA BON) website.
  3. Completing Pre-Education Verification Form through the College of Nursing. This form provides information needed to complete the final Education Verification Form as well as employer information needed by the College of Nursing.
  4. After completing the Pre-Education Verification Form students will receive, via email, a completed Education Verification Form.
  5. Within 14 days from NTEC license application submission (step 2), student will complete the Employment Verification form with the employing facility. The form is available on the WA BON website. The College of Nursing does not need a copy of the completed form.
  6. Uploading both the Education and Employment Verification forms to the WA BON website.

The College of Nursing will:

  1. Complete Education Verification Form and send to student.
  2. Send skills list to facility contact, copying student on email.
  3. At end of semester, after grades have posted, College of Nursing sends skills list to show new scope of practice.
  4. If student is no longer in good standing, College of Nursing will send notification to the Board of Nursing (BON) as well as the facility. Once student returns to good standing, College of Nursing will notify BON and facility
    1. Losing good standing includes students taking a leave of absence or students repeating a course.

Skills Lists

Nursing Technicians (Nurse Techs) are able to perform specific nursing functions. There are certain skills the College of Nursing wishes Nurse Tech pre-licensure BSN students to achieve at various levels throughout their program. A list of these skills will be sent to the student’s facility contact before they begin employment as a Nurse Tech. The student and facility contact should review the skills list at the beginning of, as well as throughout, the semester to ensure the student is achieving the necessary skills. At the end of each semester, after grades have posted, the College of Nursing will notify the facilities about the student’s new scope of practice.

Assessment:

  • Head-to-toe assessment

Infection Control:

  • Hand Hygiene
  • Applying personal protective equipment: donning/doffing and appropriate use

Medical-Surgical Care:

  • Basic wound care
  • Surgical wound: suture and staple removal
  • Pressure ulcer care
  • Immobilization and compression
  • Mobility, ambulating, turning, and patient transfer

Medication Administration:

  • Enteral
  • Inhalation
  • Intramuscular injection
  • Intradermal injection
  • Optic
  • Oral
  • Otic
  • Rectal
  • Subcutaneous
  • Sublingual
  • Topical
  • Vaginal
  • Administering a small, and large volume retention and return flow enema
  • Insulin management

Nutrition:

  • Nutrition and feeding

Patient Hygiene/ADLs

Point of Care Testing:

  • Blood glucose monitoring: capillary blood sample collection for adults, and the use of glucometers for testing

Respiratory:

  • Oxygen administration
  • Incentive Spirometer
  • Pulse Oximetry

Tube Management:

  • Managing a patient with a PEG/PEJ tube: secure, flush, aspirate, administer feeding
  • Drainage tube: managing a Jackson-Pratt (JP)
  • Drainage tube: managing a Hemovac
  • Drainage tube: managing a penrose drain

Urinary:

  • Urine specimen collection: clean catch
  • Urine specimen collection: catheter
  • Urinary catheter: care
  • Urinary catheter: removal

Vital Signs

Asepsis:

  • Surgical Asepsis

Central Line:

  • Central venous line management: blood draw
  • Central venous line management: dressing change

Intravenous:

  • IV therapy: insertion
  • IV therapy: discontinue
  • IV: prime/hang maintenance fluids
  • Parental nutrition: PPN management
  • Parental nutrition: TPN management
  • Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA): education/management

Medication Administration:

  • Automated medication dispensing device: access
  • Administer Intravenous medications: push
  • Administer Intravenous medications: piggyback
  • Blood product administration: monitoring/assessment of a patient receiving blood products

Operative/Post-operative Care:

  • OR: Surgical scrub and gown technique
  • Orthopedic patient care
  • Ostomy: wound care and management

Phlebotomy:

  • Venipuncture: Blood Draw

Respiratory:

  • Tracheostomy: care
  • Tracheostomy: suctioning
  • Exposure to care of patient on a ventilator

Monitoring:

  • Exposure to basic hemodynamic monitoring

Tube Management:

  • Chest tube: dressing change
  • Chest tube: manage drainage system
  • Drainage tube: manage a rectal tube
  • Nasogastric tube: insertion
  • Nasogastric tube management
  • Nasogastric tube: removal

Urinary Catheter:

  • Closed bladder irrigation: continuous
  • Closed bladder irrigation: intermittent
  • Urinary catheter placement: foley
  • Urinary catheter placement: straight

Assessment:

  • Physical assessment: newborn
  • Physical assessment: child
  • Developmental assessment: child
  • Physical assessment: postpartum

Intravenous:

  • Pediatric IV: insertion
  • Pediatric IV: prime/hang maintenance fluids

Medication Administration:

  • Pediatric intravenous (push)
  • Pediatric intravenous (piggyback)
  • Pediatric intramuscular
  • Pediatric oral
  • Pediatric otic
  • Pediatric rectal
  • Pediatric topical

Nursing Care:

  • Intrapartum: patient care
  • Leopold maneuvers
  • Comfort holds/Safety measures: infant
  • Comfort holds/Safety measures: child
  • Pediatric growth measurements

Nutrition:

  • Infant feeding: breast
  • Infant feeding: bottle

Respiratory:

  • Airway management: infant
  • Airway management: child

Screening:

  • Vision screening: child
  • Hearing screening: child

Tube Management:

  • Nasogastric tube: infant
  • Nasogastric tube: child
  • Gastrostomy tube: infant
  • Gastrostomy tube: child

Nursing Technicians are authorized to perform specific nursing functions within the limits of their education, up to their skill and knowledge, but they may NOT:

  1. Administer chemotherapy, blood or blood products, intravenous medications, or scheduled drugs, or carry out procedures on central lines.
  2. Assume ongoing responsibility for assessments, planning, implementation, or evaluation of the care of patients.
  3. Function independently, act as a supervisor, or delegate tasks to licensed practical nurses, nursing assistants, or unlicensed personnel.
  4. Perform or attempt to perform nursing techniques or procedures for which the nursing technician lacks the appropriate knowledge, experience, and education.

Campus Contacts