Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Yazoo City, MS

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician (PCT) is part of the dialysis health care team and provides safe, effective dialysis therapy under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse. The role follows organization policies, procedures, training, and applicable corporate, state, and federal regulations. The PCT sets up and operates hemodialysis machines, helps maintain a safe and clean work environment, and contributes to the Quality Enhancement Program (QEP), Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), patient satisfaction, and process improvement activities. The position provides direct patient care throughout dialysis treatments, including assessing vascular access, cannulation, monitoring patient response, recording treatment data, and reporting changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. It also includes specimen collection and preparation, infection-control practices, equipment preparation and disinfection, accurate clinical recordkeeping, and support for patients performing self-care under RN supervision. In the Transitional Care Unit, the PCT follows newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education, coordinates care with appropriate staff, helps patients understand treatment options and home dialysis, and supports transition to the patient's chosen modality. The role includes physical work such as prolonged standing, bending, moving and lifting patients and supplies, and travel between assigned facilities and community locations.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the applicable state or CMS timeline.
Meet all 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 as a condition of continued employment.
Successfully complete CPR certification as a condition of continued employment.
Take the Ishihara Color Blindness test as a condition of employment; failing the test does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations may be considered.
Be able to perform direct patient care involving regular heavy lifting and moving of patients and assisting with ambulation.
Be able to stand for frequent, prolonged periods and bend over.
Be able to occasionally push or pull equipment using up to 15 pounds of force.
Be able to frequently lift and lower solutions weighing up to 30 pounds and occasionally lift up to 40 pounds to a height of 5 feet.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their last treatment.
Assess vascular access for patency, perform cannulation, and administer heparin as delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and record pre-, intra-, and post-treatment vital signs and weights, and perform pre- and post-treatment evaluations.
Initiate, monitor, and discontinue dialysis treatments according to prescribed orders and established procedures.
Program dialysis machines for prescribed ultrafiltration goals, treatment times, and UF modeling, and ensure required safety alarms are enabled.
Monitor patients' response to therapy, evaluate intradialytic problems, perform prescribed or directed interventions, and document patient responses.
Monitor vascular access pressures during treatment, intervene as appropriate, and report unusual findings or changes in patient condition to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Conduct machine safety checks and required pretreatment alarm testing, including Pressure Holding Test (PHT), and initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
Complete accurate and timely treatment documentation, review treatment sheets for completeness, and enter treatment data into the designated clinical application.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange collection of specimens according to laboratory requirements.
Prepare, organize, and use supplies and equipment efficiently, and clean blood spills with appropriate disinfectant according to facility policy.
Clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Maintain a safe, clean, and orderly environment and follow infection-control policies and procedures.
Assist in training applicable direct patient care staff on appropriate programs under nurse supervision.
Participate in CQI activities and assist with infection-control audits and patient and family education under the direction of the CM or designee, as permitted by state law.
Monitor patients performing self-care under RN supervision.
In the Transitional Care Unit, follow newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and coordinate transitional dialysis care.
Reinforce education for new patients, coordinate appointments with appropriate care-team disciplines, and help patients understand treatment options and home dialysis.
Set up and perform treatments on machines used in the Transitional Care Unit, demonstrate peritoneal dialysis setup, and assist with transitions to patients' chosen modalities.
Assist with Transitional Care Unit supply ordering and inventory.