Patient Care Technician

Fresenius Medical Care•Raleigh, NC

15d

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician works as part of a dialysis health care team, providing 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. It includes setting up and operating hemodialysis machines, helping maintain a safe and clean workplace, and participating in quality enhancement and continuous quality improvement activities focused on patient outcomes and satisfaction. The technician welcomes patients, assesses their wellbeing and vascular access, obtains and records vital signs and weights, initiates and monitors dialysis treatments, responds to treatment issues as directed, and completes treatment discontinuation and discharge checks. Duties also include machine safety checks and programming, documentation, laboratory specimen handling, cleaning and disinfection, infection-control support, and preparation and management of supplies and equipment. The technician reports significant changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor and may monitor patients performing self-care under RN supervision. In the Transitional Care Unit, the technician follows newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education, helps coordinate care and modality transitions, supports understanding of home dialysis and treatment options, operates the unit’s machines, and assists with supply ordering and inventory. The position involves direct patient care and work in a healthcare facility. It requires travel between assigned facilities and community locations, with possible travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings. Employees may encounter infectious or contagious diseases and materials. The work regularly involves heavy lifting and moving patients, assisting with ambulation, frequent and prolonged standing, bending, and lifting or lowering solutions and equipment. Equipment or coworkers may assist with heavier items; a two-person assist program and material-assist devices are available. Reasonable accommodations may be considered. Employees must take the Ishihara color blindness test as a condition of employment, though failing it does not automatically preclude employment.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required state or CMS timeline.
Meet any 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 to continue employment.
Successfully complete CPR certification to continue employment.
Take the Ishihara color blindness test as a condition of employment; failing the test does not automatically preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations may be considered.
Ability to perform the described physical demands, including frequent and prolonged standing, bending, patient handling and ambulation assistance, and lifting or lowering solutions and equipment, with assistance or devices available for heavier items.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Assist healthcare 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.
Assess vascular access for patency and perform cannulation and delegated heparin administration as permitted by state law.
Obtain and record pre-, intra-, and post-treatment vital signs and weights, and perform 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 goal, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling as prescribed.
Ensure appropriate machine safety alarms are enabled and conduct required safety checks and pretreatment alarm testing.
Monitor patient responses and intradialytic problems, perform interventions as prescribed or directed, document responses, and report significant changes or unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Obtain hemostasis, apply dressings, and evaluate patients before discharge and termination of venous access.
Complete accurate and timely treatment documentation, including treatment sheets, progress notes where applicable, and clinical application entries.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; prepare, label, store, and arrange collection of specimens in accordance with laboratory requirements.
Clean blood spills promptly with appropriate disinfectant and clean and disinfect machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare and organize supplies and equipment efficiently to prevent waste, and maintain safe, clean, and orderly areas.
Monitor patients performing self-care under RN supervision.
Assist with training applicable direct patient care staff on appropriate programs under a nurse’s supervision.
Complete and document participation in Continuous Quality Improvement activities; review treatment sheets for completeness and ensure omissions or corrections are addressed 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 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 the patient experience and scheduled care.
Help patients understand home dialysis products, home-dialysis benefits, and treatment options, including demonstrating peritoneal dialysis setup.
Assist with coordination of 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.
Follow organization business policies, procedures, systems, ethical business practices, and customer-service standards.