Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Avondale, AZ

13d•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician (PCT) works 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, and training, as well as applicable corporate, state, and federal regulations. The technician sets up and operates hemodialysis machines, helps maintain a safe and clean environment, and participates in quality improvement activities focused on patient satisfaction and achieving organizational Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) goals. The position provides direct patient care throughout dialysis treatment, including assessing vascular access, taking and documenting vital signs and weights, initiating and discontinuing treatment according to prescribed orders and established procedures, monitoring patient responses, and reporting changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. The PCT also documents treatment information, performs machine safety checks, obtains laboratory specimens, maintains supplies and equipment, and follows infection-control procedures. In the Transitional Care Unit, the PCT supports newly admitted patients during their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education, coordinates care with facility staff, and assists patients in understanding treatment options, including home dialysis. The role also includes cleaning and disinfecting equipment and treatment areas, preparing charts and laboratory requisitions, and assisting with training applicable direct patient care staff under a nurse’s supervision.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the applicable state or CMS timeline.
Meet 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 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 may be considered.
Ability to perform direct patient care involving heavy lifting and moving patients and assisting with ambulation, with equipment or coworker assistance as available.
Ability to stand for frequent, prolonged periods and bend over.
Ability to occasionally push or pull equipment using 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 as high as 5 feet.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Assist health care team members with patient-specific education about adequacy measures, the disease process, and vascular access, as appropriate.
Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their previous treatment.
Evaluate vascular access for patency, perform cannulation, and administer heparin when delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and document pre- and post-treatment vital signs and weights, and evaluate vascular access before treatment.
Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood and dialysate flow settings.
Evaluate intradialytic problems and provide interventions as prescribed or directed; monitor and document patient responses.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion and perform and document procedures needed to discontinue treatment.
Discontinue dialysis according to established procedures, evaluate the patient before termination of venous access, obtain standing and sitting blood pressure, achieve hemostasis, and apply appropriate dressings.
Evaluate the patient before discharge.
Calculate and enter prescribed dialysis machine programming, including ultrafiltration goal, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling.
Ensure appropriate safety alarms are enabled, including Narrow Venous Limits (NVL) 160.
Record accurate, timely vital signs and treatment parameters on the Hemodialysis Treatment Sheet and complete applicable treatment documentation and progress notes.
Report significant information and changes in patient condition to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Observe patients, perform machine safety checks, document interventions and patient responses, and report unusual findings.
Monitor vascular access during treatment, including arterial and venous pressures; intervene as appropriate, document, and report unusual findings.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests and collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange pickup of specimens according to laboratory requirements.
Clean blood spills promptly with the appropriate disinfectant and 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 incorporated into training.
Maintain a safe and clean environment; clean and disinfect the dialysis machine, chair, equipment, and surrounding area between treatments.
Prepare for dialysis treatments, complete required documentation, perform pretreatment machine alarm testing including Pressure Holding Test (PHT), and initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
Document ongoing participation in Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activities and enter treatment data accurately and promptly into the designated clinical application.
Review treatment sheets for completeness and nursing signatures, and ensure omitted entries are completed or corrected by appropriate staff.
Prepare initial patient charts and admission 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 permitted 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 as permitted by state law, and liaise with appropriate staff to support the patient experience and scheduled services.
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 TCU supply ordering and inventory.