Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Sumter, SC

21d

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. The role follows organization policies, procedures, and training, as well as 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 quality improvement activities related to patient satisfaction and organizational goals. The position provides direct patient care throughout dialysis treatment, including assessing patients and vascular access, initiating and discontinuing treatment, monitoring and documenting patient responses, and reporting changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. It also includes preparing and collecting laboratory specimens, maintaining accurate treatment records, following infection-control practices, and assisting with patient education and staff training under appropriate supervision. In the Transitional Care Unit, the technician follows newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis, coordinates aspects of transitional care, reinforces education, helps patients understand treatment options and home dialysis, and supports transitions to a patient’s chosen modality. The job includes work in a health care facility and travel between assigned facilities and community locations. Direct patient care involves frequent standing and bending, assisting patients with movement, and lifting or moving supplies and equipment.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the applicable state or CMS timeline.
Meet all applicable state licensure, education, and training requirements.
Demonstrated commitment to the organization’s 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; failure does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations will be considered.
Ability to perform direct patient care involving frequent, prolonged standing and bending; assist with patient lifting, movement, and ambulation; occasionally push or pull equipment with up to 15 pounds of force; frequently lift or lower solutions up to 30 pounds; and occasionally lift up to 40 pounds as high as five feet. Assistance and material-assist devices are available for heavier items.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since the previous treatment.
Assess vascular access for patency, perform cannulation, and administer heparin when delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and document pre- and post-treatment weights and vital signs, including patient identification and relevant evaluations.
Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood flow and dialysate flow settings.
Calculate and enter prescribed dialysis machine programming, including ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling.
Ensure required safety alarms are enabled and conduct machine safety checks according to facility policy.
Monitor patients’ response to dialysis, assess and address intradialytic problems as prescribed or directed, and document interventions and responses.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion, discontinue treatment according to established procedures, assess patients before termination of venous access, obtain hemostasis, and apply dressings.
Evaluate patients before discharge and document treatment evaluations and parameters on the required treatment records.
Monitor vascular access during treatment, including arterial and venous pressures, intervene as appropriate, and report or document unusual findings.
Report significant information and changes in patient condition to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange appropriate courier collection of specimens.
Clean blood spills promptly with appropriate disinfectant and prepare, organize, and use supplies and equipment efficiently to prevent waste.
Monitor patients performing self-care under RN supervision.
Assist in 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 and clean environment; disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare for dialysis, perform and document required pretreatment machine alarm tests, including Pressure Holding Test (PHT), and initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
Participate in and document Continuous Quality Improvement activities; enter treatment data accurately and promptly into the designated clinical application.
Review treatment sheets for completeness, verify nursing signatures, and ensure omitted entries are completed or corrected by appropriate staff.
Prepare initial patient charts and paperwork, print laboratory requisitions, and coordinate laboratory specimen collection.
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 direction as allowed by state law.
Follow newly admitted Transitional Care Unit patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and coordinate transitional dialysis 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 scheduled care plan.
Help patients understand home dialysis products, the benefits of home dialysis, and treatment options, including demonstrating peritoneal dialysis setup.
Set up and perform treatments on machines used in the Transitional Care Unit, assist with coordination of transitions to the patient’s chosen modality, and help with supply ordering and inventory.