Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Phoenix, AZ

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician (PCT) works as part of a dialysis health care team to provide safe, 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. 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 quality goals. The position provides direct patient care throughout dialysis treatments. Duties include welcoming patients, assessing their wellbeing and vascular access, obtaining weights and vital signs, initiating and monitoring treatment, responding to patient or machine issues, discontinuing treatment, and documenting treatment information. The technician also collects and prepares laboratory specimens, maintains equipment and supplies, supports infection-control practices, and assists with patient education and staff training under appropriate 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 options, performs treatments on unit machines, and assists with supplies and inventory. The work includes desk and computer tasks, interaction with patients and health care personnel, and travel between assigned facilities and community locations. The health care facility environment has controlled air temperature and moderate noise, with possible exposure to infectious or contagious materials. Direct care regularly involves lifting and moving patients and assisting with ambulation. The role requires frequent, prolonged standing and bending, and may involve pushing or pulling equipment and lifting solutions weighing up to 30 pounds frequently and up to 40 pounds occasionally.

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; continued employment depends on successful completion.
Successfully complete CPR certification; continued employment depends on successful completion.
Take the Ishihara Color Blindness test as a condition of employment; failure does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations will be considered.
Ability to perform the physical demands of the job, including frequent prolonged standing and bending, assisting with patient movement and ambulation, and lifting solutions up to 30 pounds frequently and up to 40 pounds occasionally.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Provide patient-specific education about dialysis adequacy measures, disease processes, and vascular access as appropriate and under the applicable supervision or state-law limits.
Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their last treatment.
Assess vascular access patency, cannulate access, and administer heparin when delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and document pre- and post-treatment weights, vital signs, and patient evaluations, including initial identification.
Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood-flow and dialysate-flow settings, and calculate and enter prescribed machine programming for ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and UF modeling.
Monitor patients’ responses and vascular access during treatment, evaluate intradialytic problems, and provide and document interventions as prescribed or directed.
Perform treatment discontinuation procedures, obtain relevant pre-reinfusion vital signs, assess patients before termination and discharge, obtain hemostasis, and apply appropriate dressings.
Ensure required machine safety alarms are enabled; observe patients and perform machine safety checks according to facility policy.
Record accurate and timely vital signs, treatment parameters, interventions, and other patient-treatment information in the required records and clinical applications.
Report significant information, changes in patient condition, unusual findings, and vascular-access concerns to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange appropriate courier collection of specimens.
Clean blood spills promptly using the appropriate disinfectant and follow facility procedures.
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 organization policies, procedures, systems, ethical business practices, and infection-control procedures.
Maintain a safe, clean environment; clean and disinfect dialysis machine surfaces, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare for dialysis treatments, document preparation where appropriate, complete required machine alarm testing including Pressure Holding (PHT), and initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
Complete and document ongoing participation in Continuous Quality Improvement activities.
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, and prepare or print laboratory requisitions for prescribed or stat specimens.
Assist with infection-control audits, support staff and patient adherence to infection-control practices, and reinforce patient and family infection-control education as directed.
In the Transitional Care Unit, 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 allowed by state law, and liaise with appropriate staff to support the patient experience and scheduled care.
Help patients understand home dialysis products, benefits, and options, including demonstrating 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.