Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Clarksdale, MS

15d•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician (PCT) works as part of the dialysis health care team to provide safe, 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 the organization’s Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) and continuous quality improvement activities. The technician helps patients understand relevant aspects of their care and participates in improvement activities intended to support quality goals and patient satisfaction. The PCT welcomes and monitors patients throughout dialysis treatment, evaluates vascular access, obtains and records vital signs and weights, initiates and discontinues treatment according to prescribed orders and established procedures, and responds to treatment issues as directed. The position includes documenting treatment information, reporting significant changes to a registered nurse or supervisor, collecting and preparing laboratory specimens, and maintaining dialysis equipment and treatment areas in accordance with facility and infection-control policies. The role also supports staff training under nurse supervision and, in transitional care, helps coordinate care and education for newly admitted patients during their first four weeks of dialysis. This may include explaining treatment options and home dialysis, assisting with modality transitions, operating machines used in the transitional care unit, and helping manage supplies and inventory. The position involves desk and computer work, interaction with patients and health care staff, and travel between assigned facilities and community locations. Travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may be required. The work environment is a health care facility with controlled air temperature and moderate noise; exposure to infectious and contagious diseases or materials is possible. Direct patient care regularly involves heavy lifting and moving patients and assisting with ambulation. The employee must frequently stand for prolonged periods and bend over, may occasionally push or pull equipment with up to 15 pounds of force, and frequently lift or lower solutions weighing up to 30 pounds, with occasional lifts of up to 40 pounds to a height of five feet. Assistance and material-handling devices are available for heavier items. Employees must take the Ishihara Color Blindness test 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 applicable 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; continued employment depends on successful completion.
Successfully complete CPR certification; continued employment depends on successful completion.
Take the Ishihara Color Blindness test as a condition of employment; failing the test 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 assistance with ambulation.
Ability to stand frequently for prolonged periods and bend over.
Ability to occasionally push or pull equipment with up to 15 pounds of force.
Ability to frequently lift or lower solutions weighing up to 30 pounds and occasionally lift up to 40 pounds to a height of five feet; assistance and material-handling devices are available for heavier items.
Ability to travel between assigned facilities and various locations in the community; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may be required.

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 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 and weights, and perform vascular access evaluations before treatment.
Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood flow and dialysate flow settings.
Evaluate intradialytic problems, provide interventions as prescribed or directed, and monitor patient response to therapy.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion; perform and document functions needed to discontinue treatment; evaluate the patient before termination of venous access, including standing and sitting blood pressure.
Obtain hemostasis and apply appropriate dressings; evaluate the patient before discharge.
Calculate and enter prescribed dialysis machine programming, including ultrafiltration goal, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling.
Ensure appropriate safety alarms are enabled, including Narrow Venous Limits (NVL) 160, and conduct machine safety checks according to facility policy.
Document treatment parameters, vital signs, patient evaluations, interventions, and patient responses accurately and promptly in the required treatment records and clinical application.
Report significant information, changes in patient condition, and unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Monitor vascular access during treatment, including arterial and venous pressures, intervene as appropriate, and document and report unusual findings.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange collection of specimens according to laboratory specifications.
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 with training applicable direct patient care staff on appropriate programs under nurse supervision.
Follow organizational policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices; maintain a safe, clean, and aesthetically appropriate environment.
Clean and disinfect dialysis machine surfaces, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments according to facility policy.
Prepare for dialysis treatments, document as required, perform pretreatment machine alarm testing including Pressure Holding (PHT), and initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
Complete and document ongoing participation in 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 compile paperwork for placement in the chart; prepare and print laboratory requisitions for prescribed or stat specimens.
Assist with infection-control audits, support staff and patient adherence to infection-control practices, follow infection-control policies and procedures, and reinforce infection-control education for patients and families under the direction of the CM or designee as permitted by state law.
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 information for new patients as permitted by state law, and liaise with appropriate staff to support the patient experience and scheduled multidisciplinary care.
Help patients understand home dialysis products, the benefits of home dialysis, and how it may work for them.
Set up and perform treatment on all machines used in the transitional care unit.
Help patients understand treatment options, including by demonstrating peritoneal dialysis setup, and assist with coordination of transition to the patient’s chosen modality.
Assist with supply ordering and inventory for the transitional care unit.