Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Midwest City, OK

6d•Onsite

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 includes setting up and operating hemodialysis machines, assisting with a safe and clean working environment, and supporting quality improvement activities focused on patient outcomes and satisfaction. The technician welcomes and monitors patients, checks vascular access, performs cannulation and delegated tasks as permitted, initiates and discontinues prescribed dialysis treatments, monitors patient response, and documents treatment information. The role also includes collecting and preparing laboratory specimens, maintaining equipment and supplies, observing infection-control practices, and supporting patients who are performing self-care under RN supervision. In the Transitional Care Unit, the technician helps coordinate care for newly admitted patients during their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education, helps patients understand treatment and home-dialysis options, assists with modality transitions, and supports supply ordering and inventory. The position involves direct patient care, travel between assigned facilities and community locations, and work in a health care facility where exposure to infectious materials may occur.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required state or CMS timeline.
Meet 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 and CPR certification; continued employment depends on successful completion.
Pass the Ishihara Color Blindness test as a condition of employment; failure does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations may be considered.
Ability to perform direct patient care involving regular heavy lifting and moving of patients and assisting with ambulation.
Ability to stand for frequent, prolonged periods and bend over.
Ability to occasionally push or pull equipment with up to 15 pounds of force; frequently lift and lower solutions up to 30 pounds and occasionally lift up to 40 pounds as high as five feet.
Previous patient care experience in a hospital setting or related facility is preferred.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Assist health care team members with 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; perform cannulation and administer heparin as delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and document pre- and post-treatment vital signs, weights, and vascular-access evaluations.
Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood-flow and dialysate-flow settings; calculate and enter prescribed machine programming for ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and UF modeling.
Monitor patients’ response to dialysis, evaluate intradialytic problems, and provide interventions as prescribed or directed.
Perform pre-reinfusion checks and the functions required to discontinue treatment; evaluate patients before treatment termination and discharge, obtain hemostasis, and apply appropriate dressings.
Document treatment information accurately and promptly, including vital signs, treatment parameters, evaluations, interventions, and patient responses.
Ensure required machine safety alarms are enabled and conduct patient and machine safety checks according to facility policy.
Evaluate vascular access during treatment, monitor arterial and venous pressures, intervene as needed, and report unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor.
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 maintain infection-control practices.
Prepare and efficiently use supplies and equipment to prevent wastage; monitor patients performing self-care under RN supervision.
Assist in training applicable direct patient care staff on appropriate programs under a nurse’s supervision.
Follow organizational policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices.
Maintain safe and clean areas; clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare for dialysis and perform and document required pretreatment machine alarm testing, including Pressure Holding Testing; initiate the Solution Delivery System.
Participate in and document Continuous Quality Improvement activities.
Enter treatment data in the designated clinical application; review treatment sheets for completeness and ensure missing entries are completed or corrected by appropriate staff.
Prepare initial patient charts and admission paperwork; prepare and print laboratory requisitions for prescribed or stat specimens.
Assist with infection-control audits, reinforce staff and patient adherence, follow infection-control procedures, and support patient and family education under the direction of the CM or designee as permitted by state law.
Follow newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and coordinate transitional dialysis care.
Reinforce education and care matters for new patients as permitted by state law; liaise with appropriate staff to support the patient experience and ensure disciplines are scheduled according to the plan.
Help patients understand home-dialysis products, benefits, and options, including demonstrating peritoneal dialysis setup, 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 supply ordering and inventory.
Travel between assigned facilities and locations in the community; travel to regional, Business Unit, or Corporate meetings may be required.