Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Beaverton, OR

2d•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 the organization’s Quality Enhancement Program and continuous quality improvement activities. The PCT welcomes and monitors patients throughout dialysis treatment; evaluates vascular access; performs cannulation and delegated administration of heparin where permitted; obtains and documents vital signs, weights, treatment parameters, and patient responses; initiates and discontinues treatment according to prescribed orders and established procedures; and reports significant changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. The position also involves machine safety checks, laboratory specimen handling, infection control, treatment documentation, and support for patient and staff education. In the Transitional Care Unit, the PCT follows newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education, coordinates care with appropriate staff, supports patients’ understanding of home dialysis and treatment options, and assists with transition to the patient’s selected modality. The position requires travel between assigned facilities and community locations and may require travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings. Work takes place in a health care facility and may involve exposure to infectious or contagious diseases or materials, frequent standing and bending, and lifting or moving patients and supplies.

Requirements

High school diploma or G.E.D. required.
Meet Center for Medicaid/Medicare Services (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 organizational culture, values, and customer service standards.
Successfully complete the organization’s dialysis training program; continued employment is dependent on successful completion.
Successfully complete CPR certification; continued employment is dependent 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 that regularly involves heavy lifting and moving patients and assisting with ambulation.
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 as high as five feet; assistance or material-assist devices are available for heavier items.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their last treatment.
Evaluate vascular access and perform cannulation and delegated heparin administration as allowed by state law.
Obtain and document pre- and post-treatment vital signs and weights, and perform vascular access evaluations.
Initiate and discontinue dialysis treatments according to prescribed orders and established procedures.
Monitor patients’ response to dialysis, evaluate intradialytic problems, provide prescribed or directed interventions, and report significant changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor.
Calculate and enter prescribed dialysis machine programming, including ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and UF modeling; ensure appropriate safety alarms are enabled.
Conduct patient and machine safety checks, including required pretreatment alarm testing and Pressure Holding tests.
Document treatment information accurately and promptly, including treatment sheets, vital signs, interventions, patient responses, and progress notes where applicable.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests, prepare and label specimens, arrange their storage and collection, and prepare lab requisitions.
Clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments; clean blood spills according to facility policy.
Prepare and organize supplies and equipment and help prevent waste.
Monitor patients performing self-care under RN supervision.
Assist in training applicable direct patient care staff under nurse supervision.
Participate in Continuous Quality Improvement activities and infection control audits; support adherence to infection control practices and reinforce patient and family education as directed and as allowed by state law.
Prepare initial patient charts and paperwork, review treatment sheets for completeness, and ensure omissions or corrections are handled by appropriate staff.
In the Transitional Care Unit, follow newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and coordinate transitional dialysis care.
Reinforce education and coordinate with appropriate staff to support the patient experience and ensure scheduled disciplines see patients according to the care plan.
Help patients understand home dialysis products, the benefits of home dialysis, and available treatment options, including demonstrating peritoneal dialysis setup.
Set up and perform treatments on machines used in the Transitional Care Unit and assist with coordination of transitions to patients’ chosen modalities.
Assist with Transitional Care Unit supply ordering and inventory.
Maintain a safe and clean environment and comply with organizational policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices.