Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Louisville, KY

8d•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 organization policies, procedures, and training, and applicable corporate, state, and federal regulations. The technician sets up and operates hemodialysis machines, helps maintain a safe and clean work environment, and participates in the Quality Enhancement Program (QEP), Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), and other process improvement activities focused on patient outcomes and satisfaction. The PCT welcomes and monitors patients throughout dialysis treatment, performs vascular access assessments and cannulation, records vital signs and weights, initiates and discontinues treatment according to prescribed orders, and responds to treatment issues as directed. The position also involves documenting treatment information, monitoring equipment and safety alarms, collecting laboratory specimens, maintaining infection-control practices, and supporting patient education. In the Transitional Care Unit, the technician helps coordinate new patients’ first four weeks of dialysis care and supports their understanding of treatment and modality options. The job includes desk and computer work and regular interaction with patients, facility staff, and physicians. Travel between assigned facilities and community locations is required; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may also be required. The work takes place in a healthcare facility with controlled air temperature and moderate noise, with possible exposure to infectious or contagious diseases and materials. Direct patient care involves frequent, prolonged standing, bending, lifting and moving patients, and assisting with ambulation. The technician may occasionally push or pull equipment with up to 15 pounds of force, frequently lift or lower solutions weighing up to 30 pounds, and occasionally lift items weighing up to 40 pounds to a height of five feet. Assistance and material-handling devices are available for heavier items. Employees must take the Ishihara color blindness test as a condition of employment; a failed test does not automatically preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations will be considered.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet applicable 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.
Take the Ishihara color blindness test as a condition of employment; a failed test does not automatically preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations may be considered.
Ability to perform the physical demands of the role, including frequent prolonged standing, bending, patient lifting and movement, and assisting with ambulation; frequent lifting or lowering of solutions up to 30 pounds and occasional lifting up to 40 pounds to five feet.
Ability to travel between assigned facilities and various community locations; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may be required.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Provide patient-specific education about dialysis adequacy measures, disease processes, and vascular access, as appropriate and within applicable state law.
Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their previous treatment.
Assess vascular access patency, cannulate access, and administer heparin when delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and record pre- and post-treatment vital signs and weights, and perform pre-treatment vascular access evaluations.
Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood-flow and dialysate-flow settings.
Evaluate intradialytic problems and intervene as prescribed or directed; monitor patient responses to therapy.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion and perform, document, and evaluate the steps required to discontinue treatment, including standing and sitting blood pressure checks.
Obtain hemostasis, apply appropriate dressings, and evaluate the patient before discharge.
Calculate and enter prescribed machine programming, including ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling.
Ensure required safety alarms are enabled, including Narrow Venous Limits (NVL) 160, and conduct machine safety checks according to facility policy.
Accurately and promptly document vital signs, treatment parameters, patient treatment information, evaluations, interventions, and patient responses in required records and clinical applications.
Report significant information, changes in condition, unusual findings, and vascular-access monitoring concerns to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; prepare, collect, label, store, and arrange courier collection of specimens according to laboratory requirements.
Clean blood spills immediately using appropriate disinfectant and follow facility policies.
Prepare, organize, and use supplies and equipment efficiently to prevent waste.
Monitor patients performing self-care under RN supervision.
Assist with training applicable direct patient care staff on appropriate programs under nurse supervision.
Follow organization policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices incorporated into training.
Maintain a safe, clean, and orderly environment; clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare for dialysis treatments, document as appropriate, perform required pretreatment machine alarm tests including Pressure Holding (PHT), and initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
Complete and document ongoing participation in CQI activities; review treatment sheets for completeness, required nursing signatures, and correction of omissions 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, follow infection-control policies, and reinforce patient and family education under the direction of the CM or designee as allowed by state law.
In the Transitional Care Unit, follow newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and coordinate transitional care.
Reinforce education and care information for new patients as allowed by state law, and 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; help coordinate 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.