Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care • Jersey City, NJ

7d • $18 - $29

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician 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 involves setting up and operating hemodialysis machines, assisting with a safe and clean working environment, and supporting quality enhancement and continuous improvement activities. The technician provides direct patient care, monitors patients throughout dialysis treatment, documents treatment information, and reports patient changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor.

The position also supports the Transitional Care Unit by following newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforcing patient education, coordinating care and modality transitions, and helping patients understand home dialysis options. The work includes travel between assigned facilities and community locations, interaction with patients and health care staff, and exposure to a health care environment where infectious and contagious materials may be present. Direct patient care involves frequent standing and bending, assisting with patient movement and ambulation, and lifting or lowering supplies and equipment.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED.
• Meet applicable CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required state or CMS timeline.
• Meet any 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 and CPR certification to continue employment.
• Ability to travel between assigned facilities and locations in the community; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may be required.
• Ability to perform direct patient care involving frequent, prolonged standing and bending, assisting with patient lifting and ambulation, and frequent lifting or lowering of solutions up to 30 pounds and occasional lifting up to 40 pounds as high as five feet.
• Ability to occasionally push or pull equipment using up to 15 pounds of force.
• Take the Ishihara Color Blindness test as a condition of employment; failing the test does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations may be considered.

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 as allowed by state law.
• Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their previous treatment.
• Assess vascular access, perform cannulation, and administer heparin when delegated or permitted by state law.
• Obtain and document pre- and post-treatment weight and vital signs, and evaluate vascular access before treatment.
• Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood flow and dialysate flow settings.
• Evaluate intradialytic problems, provide interventions as prescribed or directed, monitor patient responses, and report significant changes to the registered nurse or supervisor.
• Perform and document dialysis discontinuation procedures, including reinfusion, post-treatment assessment, hemostasis, dressings, and evaluation before discharge.
• Calculate and enter patient-specific machine programming for ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling as prescribed.
• Ensure appropriate machine safety alarms are enabled and perform machine safety checks according to facility policy.
• Document treatment parameters, vital signs, interventions, patient responses, and other required information accurately and promptly.
• Monitor vascular access pressures during treatment, intervene as needed, and report or document unusual findings.
• Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange for collection of specimens according to laboratory requirements.
• Clean blood spills promptly using appropriate disinfectant and prepare, organize, and use supplies and equipment efficiently.
• Monitor patients performing self-care under the supervision of a registered nurse.
• Assist with training applicable direct patient care staff on appropriate programs under nurse supervision.
• Maintain a safe, clean environment and clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
• Prepare dialysis treatments, perform required pretreatment machine alarm testing, and initiate the Solution Delivery System.
• Participate in Continuous Quality Improvement activities and enter treatment data into the designated clinical application.
• Review treatment sheets for completeness, nursing signatures, and correction of omissions by appropriate staff.
• Prepare initial patient charts and paperwork, print laboratory requisitions, and coordinate laboratory specimen pickup.
• Assist with infection control audits, reinforce infection control practices, and support patient and family infection control education under appropriate direction.
• Follow newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and coordinate transitional dialysis care.
• Coordinate with appropriate staff to support the patient experience and ensure disciplines are scheduled according to the care plan.
• Help patients understand home dialysis products and benefits, treatment options, and peritoneal dialysis setup demonstrations.
• Assist with transitions to the patient's chosen modality, treatment setup on Transitional Care Unit machines, and TCU supply ordering and inventory.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Potential for performance-based bonuses depending on company and individual performance, for bonus-eligible positions

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED