Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Janesville, WI

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician functions 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 organizational policies, procedures, training, and applicable regulations. It includes setting up and operating hemodialysis machines, maintaining a safe and clean work environment, and contributing to Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activities focused on patient satisfaction and outcomes. The technician supports patients throughout dialysis treatments, including preparing and operating equipment, monitoring patients and vascular access, documenting treatment information, responding to changes in patient condition, and communicating significant findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. The role also includes laboratory specimen handling, infection-control activities, staff training assistance, and recordkeeping. In the Transitional Care Unit, the technician supports newly admitted patients during their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education, coordinates care with facility staff, helps patients understand treatment and home-dialysis options, and assists with treatment setup, supply ordering, and inventory. The clinic conducts treatments Monday through Saturday, 5:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., on a rotating schedule. Training is provided. The position requires travel between assigned facilities and locations in the community; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may also be required. The work takes place in a healthcare facility with controlled air temperature and moderate noise, with possible exposure to infectious and contagious diseases or materials. Direct patient care involves frequent, prolonged standing, bending, heavy lifting and moving of patients, and assisting with ambulation. Employees may occasionally push or pull equipment with up to 15 pounds of force, frequently lift or lower solutions up to 30 pounds, and occasionally lift up to 40 pounds as high as five feet. A two-person assist program and material-assist devices are available for heavier items. Employees must take the Ishihara color blindness test as a condition of employment; failing the test does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations will be considered.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet applicable CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required state or CMS timeline.
Meet 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 preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations will be considered.
Ability to perform the position’s physical demands, including frequent prolonged standing, bending, lifting and moving patients, assisting with ambulation, and lifting or lowering solutions and equipment within the stated limits.
Ability to travel between assigned facilities and locations in the community; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may be required.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Assist healthcare team members in providing patient-specific education about adequacy measures, disease processes, and access, as appropriate.
Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their last treatment.
Evaluate vascular access for patency; perform cannulation and administer heparin when delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and record pre-, during-, and post-treatment vital signs and weights, and perform pre-treatment vascular access evaluations.
Initiate, monitor, and discontinue dialysis according to prescribed orders and established procedures, including setting blood and dialysate flow and calculating and entering machine programming for ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling.
Evaluate intradialytic problems, provide interventions as prescribed or directed, monitor patient responses, and report significant information or changes in condition to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Perform reinfusion and treatment-discontinuation functions, assess patients before termination of venous access and discharge, obtain hemostasis, and apply appropriate dressings.
Conduct machine safety checks, ensure prescribed safety alarms are enabled, and perform and document required pretreatment machine alarm testing, including Pressure Holding Testing.
Monitor vascular access pressures during treatment, intervene as needed, and document and report unusual findings.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; prepare, label, store, and arrange collection of specimens according to laboratory requirements.
Clean blood spills promptly with appropriate disinfectant and clean and disinfect dialysis machine surfaces, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare, organize, and use supplies and equipment efficiently to prevent waste; monitor patients performing self-care under RN supervision.
Assist with training applicable direct patient care staff on appropriate programs under nurse supervision.
Follow organizational policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices; maintain a safe, clean, and orderly environment.
Complete and document participation in CQI activities and enter treatment data accurately and promptly in the designated clinical application.
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, print laboratory requisitions, and ensure specimens are collected by the appropriate laboratory courier.
Assist with infection-control audits, support adherence to infection-control practices, follow infection-control policies, 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 information for new patients, coordinate with appropriate FKC staff to support the patient experience, and help ensure disciplines are scheduled according to the care plan.
Help patients understand home-dialysis products and benefits, treatment options, and peritoneal dialysis setup; assist with 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.