Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Fircrest, WA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician (PCT) works as part of a dialysis health care team to provide safe and effective dialysis therapy under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse. The role includes setting up and operating hemodialysis machines, maintaining a safe and clean work environment, and supporting quality improvement activities focused on patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes. The technician provides direct patient care, documents treatment, reports changes in patient condition, and assists with patient education and infection control. In the Transitional Care Unit, the technician supports newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and helps coordinate education and transitions to a chosen dialysis modality. The work takes place in a health care facility and involves interaction with patients, facility staff, and physicians, as well as travel between assigned facilities and locations in the community. The position may involve exposure to infectious or contagious diseases and materials. Physical work includes frequent and prolonged standing, bending, lifting and moving patients, assisting with ambulation, and handling solutions and equipment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Employees must take the Ishihara color blindness test as a condition of employment; failing the test does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations will be considered.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required state or CMS timeline.
Meet all applicable state licensure, education, and training requirements.
Demonstrate commitment to the organization's culture, values, and customer service standards.
Successfully complete the organization's dialysis training program to remain employed.
Successfully complete CPR certification to remain employed.
Ability to perform the physical demands described, including frequent standing and bending, patient lifting and movement, and handling solutions weighing up to 30 pounds frequently and up to 40 pounds occasionally, with assistance or devices available for heavier items.
Take the Ishihara color blindness test as a condition of employment.

Nice To Haves

Previous patient care experience in a hospital setting or related facility is preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide patient-specific education with other health care team members on adequacy measures, disease processes, and vascular access, as appropriate.
Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their previous treatment.
Evaluate vascular access, perform cannulation, and administer heparin when delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and record pre- and post-treatment vital signs and weights, and complete pre- and post-dialysis evaluations with initial identification.
Initiate, monitor, and discontinue dialysis treatments according to prescribed orders and established procedures.
Calculate and enter patient-specific dialysis machine settings, including ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling, and ensure required safety alarms are enabled.
Monitor patients' responses to dialysis, assess intradialytic problems, provide prescribed or directed interventions, and report significant changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor.
Evaluate vascular access and monitor arterial and venous pressures during treatment; intervene as needed, document, and report unusual findings.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange appropriate collection of specimens.
Document treatment information accurately and promptly, including vital signs, treatment parameters, treatment sheets, progress notes when applicable, and interventions and patient responses.
Conduct machine safety checks and perform required pretreatment alarm testing, including Pressure Holding Testing (PHT); initiate the Solution Delivery System.
Clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments, and promptly clean blood spills using appropriate disinfectant.
Prepare and organize supplies and equipment efficiently to prevent wastage; maintain a safe, clean, and orderly environment.
Monitor patients performing self-care under registered nurse supervision.
Assist in training applicable direct patient care staff on appropriate programs under nurse supervision.
Follow organization policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices; participate in Continuous Quality Improvement activities.
Review treatment sheets for completeness, ensure nursing signatures are recorded, and have omissions corrected by appropriate staff.
Prepare initial patient charts and paperwork, print laboratory requisitions, and ensure specimens are collected by the appropriate laboratory courier.
Assist with infection control audits, support staff and patient adherence to infection control practices, and reinforce infection control education for patients and families under the direction of the care manager or designee, as allowed by state law.
Follow newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and coordinate transitional dialysis care.
Reinforce education and care matters for new patients and liaise with appropriate staff to support the patient experience and scheduled care.
Help patients understand home dialysis products and benefits, treatment options, and peritoneal dialysis setup; assist with transition to the patient's chosen modality.
Set up and perform treatments on machines used in the Transitional Care Unit and assist with supply ordering and inventory.