Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Plainview, TX

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician functions as part of a dialysis health care team, providing safe and effective dialysis therapy under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse and in accordance with organizational policies, procedures, training, and applicable regulations. The role is responsible for setting up and operating hemodialysis machines, maintaining a safe and clean work environment, and supporting the organization’s Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) and continuous quality improvement activities. The technician welcomes and monitors patients, completes pre-, during-, and post-treatment assessments, performs vascular access care and cannulation, initiates and discontinues dialysis treatments, and documents treatment information. The role includes monitoring patient responses and machine safety, reporting changes in condition to a registered nurse or supervisor, collecting laboratory specimens, and supporting infection-control practices. In the Transitional Care Unit, the technician follows newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education, coordinates care with facility staff, supports understanding of treatment and home-dialysis options, and assists with modality transitions, equipment, and supplies. The position involves direct patient care, travel between assigned facilities and community locations, and frequent physical activity, including prolonged standing and lifting or moving 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.
Meet applicable state licensure, education, and training requirements.
Demonstrated commitment to organizational culture, values, and customer service standards.
Successfully complete the organization's dialysis training program to remain employed.
Successfully complete CPR certification to remain employed.
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 heavy lifting and moving patients and assisting with ambulation; assistance from equipment or coworkers may be available.
Ability to stand for frequent, prolonged periods and bend over.
Ability to occasionally push or pull equipment with up to 15 pounds of force.
Ability to frequently lift and lower solutions weighing up to 30 pounds and occasionally lift up to 40 pounds to a height of five feet.
Ability to work in a health care facility and tolerate possible exposure to infectious and contagious diseases or materials.

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 last treatment.
Evaluate vascular access for patency, perform vascular access cannulation, and administer heparin when 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 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.
Evaluate intradialytic problems, provide interventions as prescribed or directed, and monitor patient response to therapy.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion, discontinue treatments according to procedures, assess patients before termination of venous access, obtain hemostasis, apply dressings, and evaluate patients before discharge.
Document treatment evaluations, vital signs, weights, treatment parameters, interventions, patient responses, and other required information accurately and promptly.
Ensure appropriate machine safety alarms are enabled and conduct patient observation and machine safety checks according to facility policy.
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 needed, document, and report unusual findings.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests and collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange collection of specimens according to laboratory requirements.
Clean blood spills immediately with appropriate disinfectant and prepare, organize, and use supplies and equipment efficiently to prevent waste.
Monitor patients performing self-care under registered nurse supervision.
Assist with training applicable direct patient care staff on appropriate programs under nurse supervision.
Follow organizational business policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices.
Maintain a safe and clean environment; clean and disinfect dialysis machine surfaces, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare for dialysis treatments, document preparation as appropriate, complete required machine alarm testing including Pressure Holding Test (PHT), and initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
Participate in and document Continuous Quality Improvement activities; enter treatment data into the designated clinical application and review treatment sheets for completeness and required signatures or corrections.
Prepare initial patient charts and paperwork, prepare or print laboratory requisitions, 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 direction as allowed 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 allowed by state law, and liaise with facility staff to support the patient experience and scheduled visits by disciplines 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 all machines used in the Transitional Care Unit and assist with supply ordering and inventory.
Travel between assigned facilities and locations in the community, and attend regional, Business Unit, or Corporate meetings when required.