Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Yazoo City, MS

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 includes setting up and operating hemodialysis machines, helping maintain a safe and clean work environment, and supporting the organization’s Quality Enhancement Program (QEP), Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activities, and patient-satisfaction and process-improvement goals. The PCT supports patients before, during, and after dialysis treatments. Duties include evaluating and cannulating vascular access, obtaining and documenting vital signs and weights, initiating and discontinuing treatment according to prescribed orders and established procedures, monitoring patients and machine safety, responding to treatment concerns as directed, and reporting significant changes to a registered nurse or supervisor. The role also includes collecting and preparing laboratory specimens, maintaining accurate treatment records, and following infection-control practices. The PCT may support the Transitional Care Unit by following newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforcing education, coordinating care with appropriate staff, helping patients understand treatment and home-dialysis options, supporting transition to the patient’s chosen modality, and assisting with supplies and inventory. The work includes desk and computer tasks and direct interaction with patients, facility staff, and physicians. Travel between assigned facilities and locations in the community is required; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may also be required. The work environment is a health care facility with controlled air temperature and moderate noise, with possible exposure to infectious and contagious diseases or materials. Direct patient care regularly involves heavy lifting and moving patients and assisting with ambulation. The position requires frequent, prolonged standing and bending; occasional pushing or pulling of equipment with up to 15 pounds of force; frequent lifting and lowering of solutions up to 30 pounds; and occasional lifting up to 40 pounds as high as five feet. Assistance and material-assist devices are available for heavier items. Employees must take the Ishihara Color Blindness test as a condition of employment; failing the test does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations may be considered.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
Must meet Center for Medicaid/Medicare Services (CMS)-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required state or CMS timeline.
Must meet all applicable state licensure, education, and training requirements.
Demonstrated commitment to the organization’s culture, values, and customer-service standards.
Continued employment depends on successful completion of the organization’s 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 accommodations may be considered.
Able to perform direct patient care involving regular heavy lifting and moving of patients and assisting with ambulation; frequent prolonged standing and bending; occasional pushing or pulling with up to 15 pounds of force; frequent lifting and lowering up to 30 pounds; and occasional lifting up to 40 pounds as high as five feet.
Able to travel between assigned facilities and various locations within the community.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Assist health care team members in providing patient-specific education about adequacy measures and the disease process or vascular access, as appropriate.
Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their last treatment.
Evaluate vascular access for patency, perform cannulation, and administer heparin as delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and document pre- and post-treatment vital signs and weights, including patient identification and vascular-access evaluations.
Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood-flow and dialysate-flow settings.
Calculate and enter prescribed patient dialysis-machine programming for ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling.
Ensure appropriate safety alarms are enabled, including Narrow Venous Limits (NVL) 160, and conduct machine safety checks according to facility policy.
Monitor patient response to dialysis, evaluate intradialytic problems, and provide interventions as prescribed or directed; document interventions and patient responses.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion and perform and document the procedures required to discontinue treatment according to established procedures.
Evaluate patients before termination and discharge, obtain hemostasis, and apply appropriate dressings.
Record accurate and timely vital signs and treatment parameters on the Hemodialysis Treatment Sheet and complete related treatment documentation and progress notes when applicable.
Report significant information, changes in patient condition, and unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Evaluate vascular access during treatment, including arterial and venous monitoring pressures; intervene as needed, document, and report unusual findings.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests and collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange courier collection of specimens according to laboratory requirements.
Clean blood spills promptly with appropriate disinfectant according to facility policy.
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 organizational business policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices included in training.
Maintain a safe and clean environment; clean and disinfect dialysis-machine surfaces, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments according to facility policy.
Prepare for dialysis treatments, document as appropriate, conduct required pretreatment machine alarm testing including Pressure Holding (PHT), and initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
Complete and document ongoing participation in CQI activities.
Enter treatment data accurately and promptly in 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 for admission and compile paperwork for placement in the chart.
Prepare and print laboratory requisitions for prescribed or stat specimens according to the laboratory destination.
Assist with collecting information for infection-control audits; support staff and patient adherence to infection-control practices; follow infection-control policies and procedures; and reinforce infection-control education under the direction of the CM or designee as permitted by state law.
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 matters for new patients as permitted by state law.
Liaise with appropriate FKC staff to support the patient experience and ensure disciplines are scheduled according to the plan.
Help patients understand home-dialysis products, the benefits of home dialysis, and how it may work for them.
Set up and perform treatments on all machines used in the Transitional Care Unit.
Help patients understand treatment options, including through demonstration of peritoneal dialysis setup.
Assist in coordinating transition to the patient’s chosen modality.
Assist with Transitional Care Unit supply ordering and inventory.