Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Florence, OR

14d

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, supporting a clean and safe clinical environment, and following organizational policies, procedures, training, and applicable regulations. The PCT also participates in quality improvement activities and supports patient satisfaction and the organization’s Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) goals. The technician welcomes and monitors patients during dialysis, performs prescribed treatment tasks, assesses vascular access, records vital signs and treatment information, and reports changes in patient condition to a registered nurse or supervisor. The role also includes laboratory specimen handling, infection-control practices, clinical documentation, equipment preparation and disinfection, and assisting with staff training under nursing supervision. In the Transitional Care Unit, the PCT supports newly admitted patients during their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education, coordinates care with facility staff, assists patients in understanding treatment and home-dialysis options, and helps coordinate transitions to patients’ chosen modalities. The position involves direct patient care, travel between assigned facilities and community locations, and may include travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet 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.
Able to perform direct patient care involving regular heavy lifting and moving of patients and assisting with ambulation, with equipment or coworker assistance as available.
Able to stand for frequent, prolonged periods and bend over.
Able to occasionally push or pull equipment using up to 15 pounds of force.
Able to frequently lift and lower solutions weighing up to 30 pounds and occasionally lift up to 40 pounds as high as five feet, with material-assist devices or a two-person assist program available for heavier items.
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 a related facility is preferred.

Responsibilities

Assist health care team members in providing patient-specific education about adequacy measures, disease processes, and vascular access, as appropriate.
Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their previous treatment.
Evaluate vascular access for patency, cannulate access, and administer heparin when delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and document pre-, during-, and post-treatment vital signs and weights, and perform vascular access evaluations.
Initiate, monitor, and discontinue dialysis treatment according to prescribed orders and established procedures.
Calculate and enter patient-specific dialysis machine programming, including ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling as prescribed.
Ensure appropriate machine safety alarms are enabled and conduct machine safety checks according to facility policy.
Monitor patients’ responses to dialysis, identify intradialytic problems, provide interventions as prescribed or directed, and report significant changes or unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Evaluate vascular access during treatment, monitor arterial and venous pressures, intervene as needed, and document and report unusual findings.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests and collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange pickup of specimens according to laboratory requirements.
Clean blood spills promptly with appropriate disinfectant and prepare, organize, and use supplies and equipment efficiently.
Monitor patients performing self-care under the supervision of a registered nurse.
Assist with training applicable direct patient care staff on appropriate programs under the supervision of a nurse.
Follow organizational business policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices.
Maintain a safe, clean, and orderly environment; clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare for dialysis treatments, perform required pretreatment machine alarm testing, including Pressure Holding Testing (PHT), and initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
Participate in and document Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activities.
Enter treatment data accurately and promptly into the designated clinical application; review treatment sheets for completeness and ensure required signatures and corrections are obtained.
Prepare initial patient charts and admission paperwork, print laboratory requisitions, and ensure laboratory specimens are collected by the appropriate 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 Clinical Manager or designee as allowed by state law.
Follow newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and coordinate their 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.
Help patients understand home-dialysis products, the benefits of home treatment, and how home dialysis may work for them.
Set up and perform treatments on machines used in the Transitional Care Unit and demonstrate peritoneal dialysis setup as appropriate.
Assist with coordination of transitions to patients’ chosen modalities and with Transitional Care Unit supply ordering and inventory.