Patient Care Technician - PCT CCHT - Dialysis

Fresenius Medical Care•Missouri City, TX

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician (PCT) is part of the dialysis health care team and provides safe, effective dialysis therapy under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse, following organizational policies, procedures, training, and applicable regulations. The role is responsible for setting up and operating hemodialysis machines, helping maintain a safe and clean work environment, and supporting the organization’s Quality Enhancement Program (QEP), Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activities, patient satisfaction, and process improvement goals. The technician welcomes patients, checks their condition and vascular access, obtains and documents weights and vital signs, initiates and monitors prescribed dialysis treatments, responds to treatment problems as directed, and completes treatment discontinuation and post-treatment procedures. Duties also include machine safety checks, dialysis programming, laboratory specimen collection and preparation, accurate treatment documentation, infection-control practices, equipment cleaning, and reporting patient changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. The role may assist with training direct patient care staff under nurse supervision and supports newly admitted patients during their first four weeks of dialysis in the Transitional Care Unit. This includes reinforcing patient education, coordinating care and appointments with facility staff, helping patients understand treatment and home-dialysis options, setting up and running treatments on TCU machines, and assisting with supply ordering and inventory. Work includes desk and computer tasks 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 environment is a health care facility with controlled air temperature and moderate noise, with possible exposure to infectious and contagious diseases or materials. Direct patient care involves frequent prolonged standing, bending, heavy lifting and moving of patients, and assisting with ambulation. The employee 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 up to 40 pounds as high as five feet. Equipment, coworkers, and material-assist devices may provide assistance. An Ishihara color-vision test is required as a condition of employment; failing the test does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations may be considered.

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.
Demonstrated commitment to the organization’s culture, values, and customer service standards.
Successful completion of the organization’s dialysis training program is required for continued employment.
Successful completion of CPR certification is required for continued employment.
Ability to perform direct patient care involving frequent prolonged standing, bending, lifting and moving patients, and assisting with ambulation.
Ability to 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.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Assist health care team members in providing patient-specific education about adequacy measures, the disease process, and vascular access, as appropriate.
Welcome assigned patients and inquire about their wellbeing since their last treatment.
Evaluate vascular access and perform cannulation; administer heparin when delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and document pre- and post-treatment weights and vital signs, perform vascular-access evaluations, and complete patient identification and treatment 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 ultrafiltration modeling.
Ensure appropriate machine safety alarms are enabled and perform machine safety checks according to facility policy.
Monitor patients’ responses to dialysis, evaluate intradialytic problems, and provide interventions as prescribed or directed; document interventions and patient responses.
Complete treatment discontinuation procedures, obtain hemostasis, apply dressings, evaluate patients before discharge, and document treatment completion.
Record accurate and timely vital signs, treatment parameters, patient treatment information, progress notes where applicable, and other required data in the designated clinical application and treatment records.
Report significant patient information, changes in condition, and unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Evaluate vascular access during treatment, monitor arterial and venous pressures, intervene as appropriate, and document and report unusual findings.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange courier collection of specimens according to laboratory requirements.
Clean blood spills with appropriate disinfectant according to facility policy.
Prepare 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 organizational policies, procedures, systems, ethical business practices, and infection-control procedures; support staff and patient adherence to infection-control practices and assist with infection-control audits.
Maintain a safe and clean environment; clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare for dialysis treatments, complete required machine alarm testing including Pressure Holding Test, initiate the Solution Delivery System, and document as appropriate.
Participate in and document ongoing Continuous Quality Improvement activities.
Review treatment sheets for completeness, verify nursing signatures, and ensure omitted 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.
Under the direction of the CM or designee and as allowed by state law, participate in and reinforce infection-control education for patients and families.
In the Transitional Care Unit, follow newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and coordinate transitional dialysis care.
Reinforce education and care matters for new patients, liaise with facility staff to support the patient experience, and help ensure disciplines are scheduled according to the care plan.
Help patients understand home-dialysis products, benefits, and options, including demonstrating peritoneal dialysis setup; 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.