Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Lexington, KY

4d•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 enhancement and continuous quality improvement activities. The technician provides direct patient care throughout dialysis treatments, including assessing vascular access, obtaining and recording vital signs and weights, initiating and discontinuing treatments according to prescribed orders and established procedures, monitoring patient responses, performing interventions as directed, and reporting significant changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. The role also involves accurate clinical documentation, laboratory specimen collection and preparation, infection-control practices, equipment cleaning and safety checks, and assistance with staff training under nurse supervision. In the Transitional Care Unit, the technician follows newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education, coordinates care with appropriate staff, supports patients’ understanding of treatment and modality options, assists with transitions to the patient’s chosen modality, and helps manage supplies and inventory. The position requires travel between assigned facilities and community locations and may include travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings. The work takes place in a health care facility and includes direct patient care, frequent standing and bending, and regular lifting and moving of patients and supplies.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required state or CMS timeline.
Hold any applicable state licensure and complete required education and training.
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.
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 that regularly involves heavy lifting and moving 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.
Ability to travel between assigned facilities and various locations in the community.

Nice To Haves

Previous patient care experience in a hospital setting or 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.
Assess vascular access for patency, perform cannulation, and administer heparin as delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and record pre- and post-treatment vital signs and weights, and perform pre-treatment vascular access evaluations.
Initiate, monitor, and discontinue dialysis treatments 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 patient response to dialysis, evaluate intradialytic problems, provide prescribed or directed interventions, and document patient responses.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion, assess patients before treatment termination and discharge, obtain hemostasis, and apply appropriate dressings.
Document treatment parameters, evaluations, vital signs, interventions, and other patient treatment information accurately and promptly in required records and clinical applications.
Report significant information, changes in patient condition, and unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange appropriate courier collection of laboratory specimens.
Clean blood spills with appropriate disinfectant and prepare and organize 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 nurse supervision.
Maintain safe and clean areas; clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare for dialysis treatments, perform required machine alarm testing including Pressure Holding Test, and initiate the Solution Delivery System.
Participate in and document 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 paperwork, and prepare or print laboratory requisitions for prescribed or stat specimens.
Assist with infection-control audits, support adherence to infection-control practices, follow infection-control policies, and reinforce patient and family education under appropriate direction.
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 permitted by state law and coordinate with appropriate staff to support the patient experience and scheduled care.
Help patients understand home dialysis products and benefits, treatment options, and peritoneal dialysis setup; assist with transition to the 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 community locations; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may be required.