Patient Care Technician- PCT- Training Provided

Fresenius Medical Care•Whitehall, PA

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 follows organization policies, procedures, and training, as well as applicable corporate, state, and federal regulations. The technician sets up and operates hemodialysis machines and helps maintain a safe, clean work environment. The position also supports the Quality Enhancement Program (QEP), continuous quality improvement (CQI), patient satisfaction, and process improvements intended to help patients achieve quality goals. The role includes patient education support and direct treatment-related care, such as assessing vascular access, cannulation, obtaining and documenting vital signs and weights, initiating and discontinuing dialysis treatments, monitoring patient responses, and reporting changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. The technician documents treatment parameters and interventions, performs machine safety checks, collects laboratory specimens, and helps maintain supplies and equipment. Additional duties include assisting with staff training under nurse supervision, preparing and disinfecting treatment areas and equipment, completing clinical records and laboratory paperwork, and supporting infection-control audits and practices. In the Transitional Care Unit, the technician helps coordinate care and education for newly admitted patients during their first four weeks of dialysis, supports understanding of home dialysis and treatment options, and assists with transitions to a chosen modality. The position involves direct patient care in a health care facility and travel between assigned facilities and community locations. Work includes interaction with patients, facility staff, and physicians; prolonged standing, bending, and frequent lifting and moving of patients and supplies; and possible exposure to infectious or contagious materials. High school diploma or GED is required. The employee must meet applicable state or CMS certification requirements within the required timeline and successfully complete the organization’s dialysis training program and CPR certification to continue employment.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet applicable 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.
Successfully complete the organization’s dialysis training program to continue employment.
Successfully complete CPR certification to continue employment.
Ability to perform direct patient care duties involving frequent, prolonged standing, bending, and lifting or moving patients and supplies; the role may involve frequent lifting up to 30 pounds and occasional lifting up to 40 pounds as high as five feet.
Employees are required to 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 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 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 pre-treatment vascular access evaluations.
Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood and dialysate flow settings.
Evaluate and address intradialytic problems as prescribed or directed, monitor patient response to therapy, and report significant changes to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion and perform and document the tasks required to discontinue treatment, including standing and sitting blood pressure checks and evaluation before termination of venous access.
Obtain hemostasis and apply appropriate dressings; evaluate patients before discharge.
Calculate and enter prescribed individual dialysis machine programming, including ultrafiltration goals, 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.
Record accurate and timely vital signs, treatment parameters, evaluations, interventions, and other patient-treatment information in required records and clinical applications.
Evaluate vascular access during treatment, monitor arterial and venous pressures, intervene as needed, 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 immediately using the appropriate disinfectant and facility procedures.
Prepare, organize, 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 organization business policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices.
Maintain a safe and clean environment; clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare for dialysis treatments, document preparation as appropriate, perform required machine alarm tests including Pressure Holding (PHT), and initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
Complete and document participation in Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activities.
Review treatment sheets for completeness, confirm nursing signatures, and ensure omitted entries are completed or corrected by appropriate staff.
Prepare initial patient charts and paperwork for appropriate placement in the chart.
Prepare or print laboratory requisitions for prescribed or stat specimens and ensure specimens are collected by the appropriate laboratory courier.
Assist with infection-control audits, support staff and patient adherence to infection-control practices, follow infection-control policies and procedures, and reinforce patient and family education under the direction of the CM or designee as allowed 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 allowed by state law, and liaise with appropriate staff to support patient experience and scheduled care.
Help patients understand home dialysis products, benefits, and options, including demonstrating peritoneal dialysis setup.
Set up and perform treatments on machines used in the Transitional Care Unit.
Assist with coordination of transition to the patient’s chosen modality and with TCU supply ordering and inventory.