Patient Care Technician - PCT CCHT - Dialysis

Fresenius Medical Care•Paramount, CA

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician functions as part of the 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, helping maintain a safe and clean environment, and supporting quality improvement and patient satisfaction initiatives. The technician welcomes and monitors patients, assesses vascular access, initiates and discontinues dialysis treatments according to orders and established procedures, records treatment information, and reports changes in patient condition to the registered nurse or supervisor. Duties also include collecting and preparing laboratory specimens, maintaining equipment and infection-control practices, completing records, and assisting with staff training under a nurse’s supervision. In the Transitional Care Unit, the technician supports newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education, coordinates care with appropriate staff, helps patients understand treatment and home-dialysis options, and assists with supplies and inventory. The position involves direct patient care, travel between assigned facilities and community locations, frequent standing and bending, and lifting or moving patients and supplies. The work environment is a health care facility and may involve exposure to infectious or contagious diseases and materials.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet 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; continued employment is dependent on completion.
Successfully complete CPR certification; continued employment is dependent on completion.
Ability to perform direct patient care involving frequent and prolonged standing, bending, and heavy lifting or moving of patients, with assistance or devices available where needed.
Ability to lift and lower solutions frequently up to 30 pounds and occasionally up to 40 pounds to a height of up to 5 feet; may occasionally push or pull equipment with up to 15 pounds of force.
Ability to travel between assigned facilities and various community locations; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may be required.
Complete 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

Provide dialysis therapy under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse and according to applicable policies, procedures, training, and regulations.
Welcome assigned patients and inquire about their wellbeing since their last 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 weights and vital signs, and evaluate vascular access before treatment.
Initiate, monitor, and discontinue dialysis treatment according to prescribed orders and established procedures.
Calculate and enter dialysis machine programming, including ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling; ensure required safety alarms are enabled.
Monitor patient response and vascular access during treatment, intervene as prescribed or directed, document interventions and responses, and promptly report significant changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor.
Perform machine safety checks and required pretreatment alarm testing, including Pressure Holding Testing, and initiate the Solution Delivery System.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange collection of specimens according to laboratory specifications.
Clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments, and promptly clean blood spills with appropriate disinfectant.
Prepare, organize, and efficiently use supplies and equipment to prevent waste.
Monitor patients performing self-care under RN supervision.
Assist with training applicable direct patient care staff on appropriate programs under a nurse’s supervision.
Follow organizational business policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices.
Maintain a safe, clean, and orderly environment and reinforce infection-control practices and education as directed and permitted by state law.
Participate in and document ongoing Continuous Quality Improvement activities and enter treatment data accurately and promptly in the designated clinical application.
Review treatment sheets for completeness, ensure nursing signatures are documented, and have omitted entries completed or corrected by appropriate staff.
Prepare initial patient charts and paperwork, and prepare lab requisitions for prescribed or stat specimens.
Follow newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and coordinate transitional dialysis care.
Reinforce education and care information for new patients, coordinate with appropriate staff to support the patient experience, and help patients understand home dialysis products and treatment options.
Set up and perform treatments on machines used in the Transitional Care Unit, assist with demonstrations of peritoneal dialysis setup, and support transition to the patient’s chosen modality.
Assist with Transitional Care Unit supply ordering and inventory.