Patient Care Technician - PCT - Dialysis Preceptor

Fresenius Medical Care•Jacksonville, FL

13d

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 and in accordance with organizational policies, procedures, training, and applicable regulations. The position is responsible for setting up and operating hemodialysis machines, maintaining a safe and clean working environment, and supporting the organization’s Quality Enhancement Program (QEP), Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), and patient-satisfaction efforts. The PCT provides direct patient care throughout dialysis treatments, including assessing patients and vascular access, initiating and discontinuing treatments according to prescribed orders and established procedures, monitoring patients and machines, documenting treatment information, collecting laboratory specimens, and reporting changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. The role also supports patient education, self-care, infection-control practices, facility quality activities, and the coordination of care for newly admitted patients in the Transitional Care Unit. In the preceptor capacity, the PCT supports recruitment, clinical orientation, ongoing staff training, competency evaluations, and quality and regulatory education. The role collaborates with clinical managers, education coordinators, registered nurses, interdisciplinary team members, and other facility staff to promote high standards of patient care and staff development. The work includes desk and computer tasks, interaction with patients and health care staff, and travel between assigned facilities and community locations. The environment is a health care facility with controlled air temperature and moderate noise; exposure to infectious or contagious materials may occur. Direct patient care involves frequent, prolonged standing, bending, and lifting or moving patients, with assistance or equipment available. Employees must take an Ishihara color blindness test as a condition of employment; failure does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodation will be considered.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Valid PCT national certification or state-specific certification as defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Any applicable state licensure, education, and training required for the position.
Demonstrated commitment to the organization’s culture, values, and customer service standards.
Attendance and active participation in applicable preceptor training programs established by education leadership.
Attendance at Fresenius and publicly offered skill-based training as assigned by the Clinical Manager.
Successful completion of the organization’s dialysis training program is required for continued employment.
Successful completion of CPR certification is required for continued employment.
Ability to perform direct patient care tasks involving frequent, prolonged standing, bending, and lifting or moving patients, with assistance or equipment available.
Ability to lift and lower solutions frequently up to 30 pounds and occasionally up to 40 pounds as high as five feet; occasionally push or pull equipment exerting up to 15 pounds of force.
Ability to travel between assigned facilities and various community locations; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may be required.
Must take the Ishihara color blindness test as a condition of employment; failing the test does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodation will be considered.

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.
Assess 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, and evaluate vascular access before treatment.
Initiate dialysis treatments according to prescribed orders, including blood-flow and dialysate-flow settings.
Evaluate and respond to intradialytic problems as prescribed or directed, monitor patient response, and report significant changes to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion, discontinue treatments according to established procedures, assess patients before termination of venous access and discharge, obtain hemostasis, and apply appropriate dressings.
Calculate and enter prescribed dialysis machine programming, including ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling; ensure required safety alarms are enabled.
Record accurate and timely treatment information, vital signs, interventions, and patient responses in the required treatment documentation and clinical applications.
Observe patients and conduct machine safety checks; monitor vascular-access pressures during treatment and report unusual findings.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; prepare, collect, label, store, and arrange courier collection of specimens according to requirements.
Clean blood spills promptly with appropriate disinfectants and prepare, organize, and use supplies and equipment efficiently.
Monitor patients performing self-care under RN supervision and assist them as applicable.
Participate in clinical staff recruitment, orientation, ongoing training, and staff development.
Serve as a preceptor for direct patient care training in accordance with applicable state guidelines, organizational standards, policies, and training manuals.
Conduct ongoing competency evaluations and audits for other PCTs.
Collaborate with clinical managers and education coordinators to support quality standards, regulatory and legal education, CQI, and training programs.
Educate appropriate personnel, in partnership with RN and interdisciplinary team staff, about facility water-system integrity and safety and environmental integrity, as allowed by local regulations.
Support communication and coordination of training and organizational development programs among clinical managers, education coordinators, direct care staff, and support staff.
Participate in or help design educational programs for PCT staff and assist with scheduling and implementing training.
Maintain safe and clean facility conditions; clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare for treatments, perform and document required pretreatment machine alarm testing, including Pressure Holding Testing, and initiate the Solution Delivery System.
Complete and document participation in CQI activities; review treatment sheets for completeness and ensure missing or omitted entries are addressed 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 facility infection-control audits, reinforce infection-control policies and practices among staff and patients, and participate in related education and survey-response activities under the direction of the clinical manager or designee.
Follow newly admitted Transitional Care Unit patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and coordinate transitional dialysis care.
Reinforce education and care information for new patients, liaise with facility staff to support the patient experience, 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 applicable, and assist with coordination of the patient’s modality transition.
Assist with Transitional Care Unit supply ordering and inventory.