Acute Inpatient Patient Care Technician - PCT CCHT - Dialysis

Fresenius Medical Care•Las Vegas, NV

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Functions as part of the hemodialysis health care team in providing safe and effective dialysis therapy for assigned patients in accordance with FMCNA policies, procedures, and training and in compliance with regulations set forth by the corporation, state, and federal agencies. The position involves direct patient care in an acute setting, promoting and assisting in the maintenance of a safe and clean working environment. It supports the FMCNA commitment to quality enhancement and actively participates in process improvement activities. The role also involves welcoming patients, monitoring their well-being, evaluating vascular access, obtaining vital signs and weight, performing cannulation, programming dialysis machines, ensuring safety alarms are enabled, recording treatment parameters, initiating treatment, collecting specimens, evaluating and intervening in intradialytic problems, monitoring patient response, obtaining vital signs before reinfusion, performing interventions for unusual patient status, evaluating vascular access during treatment, discontinuing dialysis treatment, evaluating patients before termination of venous access, and performing pre and post dialysis evaluations.

Requirements

High School Diploma required or its equivalent
Must have a valid PCT national certification or state specific certification as defined by Center for Medicaid/Medicare Services (CMS).
All appropriate state licensure, education, and training (if any) required.
1 – 2 years’ related experience.

Responsibilities

Provides patient care under the supervision of the FKC RN for assigned patient(s) in the acute setting.
Promotes and assists in the maintenance of a safe and clean working environment.
Supports the FMCNA commitment to the Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) and Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAI) Activities.
Actively participates in process improvement activities that enhance the likelihood that patients will achieve the FMC Quality Enhancement Goals (QEP).
Promotes and assists in meeting Total Area Productivity goals (TAP).
With documented competency and proficiency may set up and prime equipment as directed by the Fresenius Nurse for renal replacement therapies (hemodialysis, continuous renal replacement and peritoneal dialysis therapies).
Welcomes assigned patients and inquires as to their well-being since their last treatment.
Reports any complaints or observations to the FMCNA RN.
Evaluates vascular access for patency and reports any unusual findings to FMCNA RN.
Obtains necessary pre and post treatment vital signs and weight. Reports unusual findings to FMCNA RN.
Performs vascular access cannulation and reports any difficulties in cannulation or unusual findings to FMCNA RN.
Responsible for calculating and entry of individual patients’ dialysis machine programming for Ultrafiltration (UF) goal; treatment time; Sodium (Na) modeling; and UF modeling as prescribed.
Responsible for ensuring appropriate safety alarms are enabled including narrow venous limits (NVL 160).
Records accurate and timely information regarding vital signs and treatment parameters onto the Hemodialysis Treatment Sheet with initial identification.
Initiates renal replacement treatment according to prescribed orders including setting blood flow rate (QB) and dialysate flow rate (QD) or peritoneal dialysis as prescribed by the attending nephrologist.
Collects, labels specimens and ensures timely delivery to laboratory per facility policy.
Evaluates intradialytic problems and provides intervention as prescribed by physician’s order or as directed by FMCNA RN.
Monitors patient’s response to dialysis therapy and report any unusual findings to FMCNA RN.
Obtains vital signs prior to reinfusion; performing all relevant functions necessary for the discontinuation of treatment- documentation.
Reports any change or unusual findings to FMCNA RN.
Performs and document any intervention for unusual patient status and document patients’ response to intervention.
Evaluates patients’ vascular access during treatment including arterial and venous monitoring pressures, provides appropriate intervention as needed, documents and reports any unusual findings to the FMCNA RN.
Discontinues dialysis treatment according to established procedures.
Evaluates patient prior to termination of venous access – standing and sitting blood pressures prior to termination of venous access. Obtains hemostasis and applies appropriate dressings.
Evaluates the patient prior to discharge and reports any unusual findings to the FMCNA RN.
Performs and records Pre and Post dialysis evaluation, weight and vital signs with initial identification.
Other duties as required.