Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Atlanta, GA

About The Position

Functions as part of a dialysis health care team, providing safe and effective dialysis therapy under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse and in accordance with organizational policies, procedures, training, and applicable regulations. Sets up and operates hemodialysis machines and helps maintain a safe, clean work environment. Supports the organization’s Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activities, including patient satisfaction and process improvement. Provides direct patient care throughout dialysis treatments, including welcoming patients, assessing their wellbeing and vascular access, initiating and discontinuing treatment, monitoring patient response, recording vital signs and treatment parameters, and reporting changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. Performs treatment-related documentation, laboratory collection and preparation, machine safety checks, cleaning, and infection-control activities. May monitor patients performing self-care and assist with training direct patient care staff under nursing supervision. In the Transitional Care Unit, follows newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education, coordinates care with appropriate staff, and helps patients understand treatment options, including home dialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Assists with treatment setup, transition to a chosen modality, and supply inventory. The role involves desk and computer work, interaction with patients and care teams, and travel between assigned facilities and community locations; regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meeting travel may also be required. The work takes place in a healthcare facility with controlled air temperature and moderate noise, with possible exposure to infectious or contagious diseases and materials. Direct patient care regularly involves heavy lifting and moving patients, assisting with ambulation, frequent prolonged standing, and bending. The employee may occasionally push or pull equipment using up to 15 pounds of force, frequently lift or lower solutions up to 30 pounds, and occasionally lift up to 40 pounds as high as five feet. Assistance and material-handling devices are available for heavier items. Employees must take the Ishihara Color Blindness test; failing the test does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations may be considered.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet applicable CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required state or CMS timeline.
Hold any state licensure and complete education or training required for the role.
Demonstrate commitment to organizational culture, values, and customer service standards.
Successfully complete the organization's dialysis training program; continued employment is dependent on successful completion.
Successfully complete CPR certification; continued employment is dependent on successful completion.
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 the stated physical demands, including frequent prolonged standing and bending, patient lifting and movement, and lifting or lowering solutions and equipment within the specified limits.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Assist with patient-specific education about adequacy measures, disease processes, and vascular access, as appropriate and within applicable state law.
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 perform vascular access evaluations.
Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood-flow and dialysate-flow settings.
Monitor patient response to dialysis, assess intradialytic problems, and provide interventions as prescribed or directed.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion, discontinue treatment according to procedures, evaluate patients before termination and discharge, and obtain hemostasis and apply dressings.
Calculate and enter prescribed patient-specific machine programming, including ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling; ensure required safety alarms are enabled.
Perform and document treatment evaluations, vital signs, weights, treatment parameters, interventions, and patient responses accurately and promptly.
Report significant information, changes in condition, and unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Observe patients and perform machine safety checks according to facility policy; monitor vascular access pressures and provide, document, and report interventions or unusual findings.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange collection of specimens according to laboratory requirements.
Clean blood spills promptly with appropriate disinfectant and prepare, organize, and use supplies and equipment efficiently to prevent waste.
Monitor patients performing self-care under RN supervision and assist with training applicable direct patient care staff under nurse supervision.
Follow organizational policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices; maintain a safe and clean environment.
Clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments according to facility policy.
Prepare for dialysis treatments, perform and document required machine alarm tests, including Pressure Holding Tests, and initiate the Solution Delivery System.
Participate in and document Continuous Quality Improvement activities; enter treatment data accurately and promptly into the designated clinical application.
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, prepare or print laboratory requisitions, and ensure specimens are collected by the appropriate laboratory courier.
Assist with infection-control audits, support staff and patient adherence to infection-control practices, follow infection-control procedures, and reinforce infection-control education under the direction of the CM or designee as permitted by state law.
Follow newly admitted Transitional Care Unit patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and coordinate transitional dialysis care.
Reinforce education and care matters for new patients, coordinate with appropriate staff to support the patient experience, and help ensure disciplines see patients according to their care plans.
Help patients understand home dialysis products, benefits, and options, including demonstration of 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.