Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Topeka, KS

15d

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, and applicable corporate, state, and federal regulations. The technician sets up and operates hemodialysis machines, helps maintain a safe and clean work environment, and participates in quality enhancement and continuous quality improvement activities intended to improve patient satisfaction and outcomes. The position provides direct patient care before, during, and after dialysis treatments. Responsibilities include assessing patients and vascular access, initiating and discontinuing treatment as prescribed, monitoring patients and equipment, responding to treatment concerns as directed, documenting treatment information, and communicating significant changes to a registered nurse or supervisor. The technician also handles laboratory specimens, supports infection-control practices, assists with staff training, and completes clinical recordkeeping. In the Transitional Care Unit, the technician follows newly admitted patients during their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education within the scope allowed by state law, helps coordinate care and modality transitions, and supports patients in understanding home dialysis options and products. The work includes patient and facility interaction, computer and desk work, and travel between assigned facilities and community locations. The healthcare environment may involve exposure to infectious or contagious materials. Direct care regularly requires lifting and moving patients and assisting with ambulation, as well as prolonged standing and bending. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet Center for Medicaid/Medicare Services-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required 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 to continue employment.
Successfully complete CPR certification to continue employment.
Be able to perform the stated physical demands, including frequent prolonged standing, bending, patient lifting and movement, and lifting or lowering solutions weighing 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 is preferred.

Responsibilities

Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their last treatment.
Assess vascular access for patency, cannulate access, 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 dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood flow and dialysate flow settings.
Monitor patients’ responses to dialysis, evaluate intradialytic problems, and provide interventions as prescribed or directed.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion and perform and document the required functions to discontinue treatment.
Discontinue dialysis according to established procedures; evaluate the patient before terminating venous access, including standing and sitting blood pressure.
Obtain hemostasis and apply appropriate dressings, then evaluate the patient before discharge.
Calculate and enter prescribed dialysis machine programming, including ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling.
Ensure required safety alarms are enabled, including Narrow Venous Limits.
Record accurate and timely vital signs, treatment parameters, and other treatment information in the appropriate clinical records.
Report significant information, changes in patient condition, and unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Observe patients and conduct machine safety checks according to facility policy; document interventions and patient responses.
Monitor vascular access during treatment, including arterial and venous pressures, and document and report unusual findings.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests and collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange collection of specimens according to laboratory specifications.
Clean blood spills promptly with appropriate disinfectant and prepare, organize, and use supplies and equipment efficiently.
Monitor patients performing self-care under registered nurse supervision.
Assist in training applicable direct patient care staff on appropriate programs under nurse supervision.
Follow organizational policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices.
Maintain safe and clean areas; clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare for dialysis treatments, document as required, complete pretreatment machine alarm testing including Pressure Holding Test, and initiate the Solution Delivery System.
Participate in and document Continuous Quality Improvement activities.
Review treatment sheets for completeness, verify 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 staff and patient 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 matters for new patients as permitted by state law, and liaise with appropriate staff to support the patient experience and scheduled care.
Help patients understand home dialysis products, the benefits of home dialysis, and how it may work for them.
Set up and perform treatments on machines used in the Transitional Care Unit.
Help patients understand treatment options, including demonstrating peritoneal dialysis setup.
Assist with coordination of transitions to the patient’s chosen modality and with Transitional Care Unit supply ordering and inventory.