Patient Care Technician - PCT - Dialysis Preceptor

Fresenius Medical Care•Lancaster, CA

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician (PCT) works as part of the dialysis health care team to provide safe and effective dialysis therapy under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse. The role follows organization policies, procedures, training, and applicable corporate, state, and federal regulations. The PCT sets up and operates hemodialysis machines, helps maintain a safe and clean environment, and supports the Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activities to improve patient satisfaction and help patients achieve quality goals. In addition to direct patient care, the PCT serves as a preceptor and supports recruitment, clinical orientation, ongoing staff training, competency evaluations, and infection-control practices. The position also supports documentation, laboratory specimen handling, equipment and facility maintenance, and transitional care for newly admitted dialysis patients, including education about treatment options and home dialysis. The role requires travel between assigned facilities and community locations, with possible travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings. The work takes place in a health care facility and may involve exposure to infectious and contagious diseases or materials.

Requirements

Must be dialysis certified.
High school diploma or equivalent required.
Must hold a valid PCT national certification or state-specific certification as defined by CMS; applicable state licensure, education, and training are required.
Demonstrated commitment to organization culture, values, and customer service standards.
Must attend and actively participate in applicable preceptor training programs established by education leadership.
Must attend Fresenius and publicly offered skill-based training as assigned by the Clinical Manager.
Continued employment depends on successful completion of the organization dialysis training program and CPR certification.
Must take the Ishihara Color Blindness test as a condition of employment; failing the test does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodation may be considered.
Must be able to travel between assigned facilities and locations in the community; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may be required.
The position involves direct patient care, including frequent and prolonged standing, bending, heavy lifting and moving of patients, and assisting with ambulation.
May occasionally need to push or pull equipment using up to 15 pounds of force; frequently lift and lower solutions up to 30 pounds and occasionally lift up to 40 pounds as high as five feet. Assistance devices or a second person may be available for heavier items.

Nice To Haves

At least five years of 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.
Educate patients, in coordination with other health care team members, about adequacy measures, disease processes, and vascular access as appropriate.
Evaluate vascular access, perform cannulation, 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, monitor, and discontinue dialysis treatments according to prescribed orders and established procedures.
Calculate and enter prescribed dialysis machine programming, including ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and UF modeling; ensure appropriate safety alarms are enabled.
Monitor patients’ responses to dialysis, evaluate intradialytic problems, provide interventions as prescribed or directed, and report significant changes or unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion, achieve hemostasis, apply dressings, and evaluate patients before discharge and at treatment termination.
Document treatment parameters, vital signs, patient assessments, interventions, and responses accurately and promptly in the required records and clinical applications.
Perform machine safety checks and monitor patients performing self-care under RN supervision; assist with self-care as applicable.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests, prepare and document specimens, and ensure their proper collection, labeling, storage, and courier pickup.
Prepare, organize, and use supplies and equipment efficiently; clean blood spills promptly using appropriate disinfectants.
Participate in recruitment of clinical staff and assist with orientation and ongoing training of direct patient care personnel and facility staff.
Serve as a preceptor in direct patient care training in accordance with state-specific requirements, organizational standards, policies, and training manuals.
Conduct ongoing competency evaluations and audits of other PCTs and provide developmental support to clinical and facility staff.
Collaborate with Clinical Managers, Education Coordinators, RNs, and interdisciplinary team members on quality standards, regulatory and legal requirements, CQI, staff education, and training programs.
Educate appropriate personnel about facility water-system integrity and safety and environmental integrity, including patient and staff safety, as allowed by local regulations.
Support communication and implementation of training and organizational development programs; monitor patient-care processes through CQI activities and incorporate business policies, procedures, and ethical practices into training.
Maintain safe, clean, and orderly facility areas; clean and disinfect dialysis machine surfaces, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare dialysis equipment and perform required pretreatment machine alarm tests, including Pressure Holding Test (PHT); initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
Complete CQI documentation, review treatment sheets for completeness and 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 facility infection-control audits, reinforce infection-control practices with staff, patients, and families, and support related education and survey responses under the direction of the Clinical Manager or designee.
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 appointments with appropriate facility disciplines, and help patients understand home dialysis products, benefits, and treatment options.
Set up and perform treatments on machines used in the Transitional Care Unit, demonstrate peritoneal dialysis setup as appropriate, assist with transitions to patients’ chosen modalities, and help manage TCU supplies and inventory.