Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•West Point, MS

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 follows organizational policies, procedures, and training, as well as applicable corporate, state, and federal regulations. The PCT sets up and operates hemodialysis machines, helps maintain a safe and clean work environment, and participates in quality improvement activities intended to support patient satisfaction and organizational quality goals. The position provides direct patient care throughout dialysis treatments, including assessing patients and vascular access, initiating and discontinuing treatment, monitoring patient response, documenting treatment information, and reporting changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. The PCT also prepares and handles laboratory specimens, supports infection control practices, maintains treatment equipment and the facility environment, and assists with staff training under nurse supervision. In the Transitional Care Unit, the PCT supports newly admitted patients during their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education, coordinates care with facility staff, helps patients understand home dialysis and treatment options, and assists with modality transitions and unit supplies. The role requires travel between assigned facilities and community locations and may include travel to regional, Business Unit, or Corporate meetings. The work takes place in a health care facility and may involve exposure to infectious or contagious diseases or materials, frequent standing and bending, and regular lifting and moving of patients or supplies.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required state or CMS timeline.
Meet 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; continued employment depends on successful completion.
Successfully complete CPR certification; continued employment depends on successful completion.
Take the Ishihara Color Blindness test as a condition of employment; failing the test does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations may be considered.
Ability to perform direct patient care involving regular heavy lifting and moving of patients and assistance with ambulation, with equipment or coworker assistance available.
Ability to stand for frequent, prolonged periods and bend over.
Ability to occasionally push or pull equipment using up to 15 pounds of force.
Ability to frequently lift and lower solutions weighing up to 30 pounds and occasionally lift up to 40 pounds to a height of five feet.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Assist health care team members with patient-specific education about adequacy measures, disease processes, and vascular access, as appropriate.
Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their previous treatment.
Assess vascular access for patency, cannulate access, and administer heparin as delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and record pre- and post-treatment vital signs and weight, and evaluate vascular access before treatment.
Initiate and discontinue dialysis treatments according to prescribed orders and established procedures.
Monitor patients’ responses to dialysis, evaluate intradialytic problems, and provide interventions as prescribed or directed.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion, assess patients before termination and discharge, achieve hemostasis, and apply appropriate dressings.
Calculate and enter prescribed dialysis machine programming, including ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling; ensure required safety alarms are enabled.
Document vital signs, treatment parameters, evaluations, interventions, patient responses, and other treatment information accurately and promptly.
Report significant information, changes in patient condition, and unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Observe patients and perform machine safety checks according to facility policy.
Monitor vascular access pressures during treatment, intervene as needed, and document and report unusual findings.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange collection of specimens according to laboratory requirements.
Clean blood spills promptly with appropriate disinfectant and organize supplies and equipment to prevent waste.
Monitor patients performing self-care under RN supervision.
Assist with training applicable direct patient care staff on programs under nurse supervision.
Follow organizational policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices.
Maintain a safe and clean environment; clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare for dialysis treatment, conduct required machine alarm testing including Pressure Holding testing, initiate the Solution Delivery System, and document as appropriate.
Participate in and document Continuous Quality Improvement activities.
Enter treatment data into the designated clinical application; review treatment sheets for completeness and ensure missing or incorrect entries are addressed by appropriate staff.
Prepare initial patient charts and paperwork for appropriate placement; prepare or print lab requisitions for prescribed or stat specimens.
Assist with infection control audits, support adherence to infection control practices, follow infection control policies and procedures, and reinforce patient and family education under the direction of the CM or designee as permitted 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 as permitted by state law, and liaise with facility staff to coordinate services according to the patient’s plan.
Help patients understand home dialysis products, the benefits of home dialysis, and available treatment options, including demonstrating peritoneal dialysis setup.
Assist with transitions to the patient’s chosen modality, perform treatments on machines used in the Transitional Care Unit, and help coordinate supply ordering and inventory.