Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Aurora, CO

8d•$20 - $27•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician works as part of a dialysis health care team to provide safe and effective dialysis therapy under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse, following organization policies, procedures, training, and applicable regulations. The role sets up and operates hemodialysis machines, helps maintain a safe and clean work environment, and supports quality enhancement and continuous quality improvement activities focused on patient satisfaction and outcomes. The position provides direct patient care throughout dialysis treatment, including assessing patients and vascular access, initiating and discontinuing treatments, monitoring patient response, documenting treatment information, and reporting changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. It also involves preparing and handling laboratory specimens, maintaining equipment and supplies, completing records, and supporting infection-control practices. In the Transitional Care Unit, the technician follows newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education within the limits of state law, coordinates care with other staff, helps patients understand treatment and home-dialysis options, performs treatments on unit machines, and assists with transitions to patients’ chosen modalities. The role involves work in a health care facility and travel between assigned facilities and community locations; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may be required. Work includes computer and desk tasks as well as frequent, prolonged standing, bending, lifting, moving patients, and assisting with ambulation. The employee may be exposed to infectious or contagious diseases and materials. The position requires an Ishihara color blindness test as a condition of employment; a failed test does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations may be considered.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the applicable state or CMS timeline.
Hold all state licensure and complete education and training required for the role.
Successfully complete the organization’s dialysis training program to remain employed.
Successfully complete CPR certification to remain employed.
Demonstrate commitment to the organization’s culture, values, and customer service standards.
Ability to perform the stated physical demands, including frequent prolonged standing, bending, patient lifting and movement, and lifting solutions up to 30 pounds frequently and up to 40 pounds occasionally.
Ability to travel between assigned facilities and locations within the community; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may be required.
Complete the Ishihara color blindness test as a condition of employment; failure does not automatically preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations may be considered.

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 last treatment.
Assess vascular access patency, cannulate vascular access, and administer heparin as delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and document pre- and post-treatment vital signs and weights, perform pre-treatment vascular access evaluations, and identify patients as required.
Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood-flow and dialysate-flow settings; calculate and enter prescribed ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling.
Ensure appropriate machine safety alarms are enabled, including Narrow Venous Limits (NVL) 160, and perform machine safety checks and required pretreatment alarm testing, including Pressure Holding (PHT).
Evaluate intradialytic problems, provide prescribed or directed interventions, monitor patient response, and document interventions and outcomes.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion and perform and document the functions required to discontinue treatment, including standing and sitting blood pressure checks, hemostasis, dressings, and patient assessment before discharge.
Record accurate and timely vital signs, treatment parameters, patient treatment information, and progress notes where applicable; report significant information or changes in condition to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Evaluate and monitor vascular access during treatment, including arterial and venous pressures; intervene as needed, document, and report unusual findings.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; prepare, label, store, and arrange collection of specimens according to laboratory specifications.
Clean blood spills immediately with appropriate disinfectant and prepare, organize, and use supplies and equipment efficiently to prevent waste.
Monitor patients performing self-care under the supervision of a registered nurse.
Assist with training applicable direct patient care staff on appropriate programs under nurse supervision.
Follow organization policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices; maintain safe, clean, and orderly surroundings.
Clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments according to facility policy; initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
Complete and document ongoing participation in Continuous Quality Improvement activities and enter treatment data accurately and promptly into the designated clinical application.
Review treatment sheets for completeness and nursing signatures, and ensure omitted entries are completed or corrected by appropriate staff.
Prepare initial patient charts and admission 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, 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 information for new patients as permitted by state law; liaise with appropriate staff to support the patient experience and ensure disciplines are scheduled according to the care plan.
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 all machines used in the Transitional Care Unit and assist with supply ordering and inventory.