Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Irmo, SC

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, as well as applicable corporate, state, and federal regulations. The technician sets up and operates hemodialysis machines, helps maintain a safe and clean environment, and participates in quality enhancement and continuous quality improvement activities focused on patient satisfaction and care outcomes. The PCT supports patients throughout dialysis treatment by taking and documenting vital signs and weights, evaluating and cannulating vascular access, initiating and discontinuing treatment according to prescribed orders and procedures, monitoring patients and machine safety, responding to changes in patient status as directed, and reporting significant findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. The role also includes accurate treatment documentation, laboratory specimen collection and preparation, equipment and area cleaning, infection-control support, and assistance with staff training under nurse supervision. In a Transitional Care Unit, the technician follows newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and helps coordinate transitional care, patient education, treatment-option discussions, and the transition to the patient’s chosen modality. The position involves direct patient care and work in a health care facility, with travel between assigned facilities and community locations. It includes frequent standing and bending, patient lifting and movement, and handling solutions and equipment. A high school diploma or GED is required. The technician must meet applicable CMS-approved state or national certification requirements within the required timeline and maintain appropriate state licensure, education, and training. Continued employment depends on successful completion of the organization’s dialysis training program and CPR certification.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required state or CMS timeline.
Maintain all appropriate state licensure, education, and training required for the role.
Demonstrate 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.
Able to perform direct patient-care duties involving frequent, prolonged standing and bending, and lifting or moving patients with assistance as needed.
Able to occasionally push or pull equipment with up to 15 pounds of force; frequently lift and lower solutions weighing up to 30 pounds; and occasionally lift up to 40 pounds as high as five feet.
Take the Ishihara Color Blindness test as a condition of employment; failing the test does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations may be considered.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their previous treatment.
Provide or reinforce patient-specific education about dialysis adequacy, disease processes, vascular access, infection control, treatment options, and home dialysis as permitted by state law and under appropriate supervision.
Evaluate vascular access, perform cannulation, administer heparin when delegated or allowed by state law, and monitor access pressures during treatment.
Obtain and document pre-, intra-, and post-treatment vital signs, weights, and evaluations, including appropriate checks before treatment termination and discharge.
Initiate, monitor, and discontinue dialysis treatments according to prescribed orders, established procedures, and facility policy.
Calculate and enter prescribed dialysis machine programming, including ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and UF modeling; ensure required safety alarms are enabled.
Observe patients and conduct machine safety checks; evaluate treatment problems, perform interventions as prescribed or directed, document patient responses, and report changes or unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Document treatment parameters, vital signs, evaluations, interventions, and other patient-care information accurately and promptly in required records and clinical applications.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange collection of specimens according to laboratory specifications.
Clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments; promptly clean blood spills and maintain a safe, clean environment.
Prepare, organize, and use supplies and equipment efficiently to prevent waste; assist with supply ordering and inventory in the Transitional Care Unit.
Conduct dialysis treatment preparation, perform required machine alarm testing including Pressure Holding Testing, and initiate the Solution Delivery System.
Review treatment sheets for completeness, confirm nursing signatures, and ensure omitted entries are completed or corrected by appropriate staff.
Prepare initial patient charts and paperwork for admission, and prepare or print laboratory requisitions for prescribed or stat specimens.
Participate in Continuous Quality Improvement activities and assist with infection-control audits and adherence to infection-control practices.
Assist in training applicable direct patient-care staff on appropriate programs under nurse supervision.
Monitor patients performing self-care under registered nurse supervision.
In the Transitional Care Unit, follow new patients through their first four weeks of dialysis, coordinate transitional care, help ensure disciplines are scheduled according to the care plan, and assist with transition to the patient’s chosen modality.
Set up and perform treatments on machines used in the Transitional Care Unit and assist with demonstrations of peritoneal dialysis setup and education about treatment options.
Travel between assigned facilities and community locations, and attend regional, Business Unit, or Corporate meetings when required.