Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Racine, WI

5d•Onsite

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, maintaining a safe and clean work environment, and supporting quality improvement and patient satisfaction activities. No dialysis-specific experience is required; comprehensive on-the-job training is provided. The PCT supports patients throughout dialysis treatment, including checking and monitoring vascular access, obtaining and documenting weights and vital signs, initiating and discontinuing treatment according to prescribed orders and established procedures, monitoring patient responses, and reporting changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. The role also involves documenting treatment information, collecting laboratory specimens, maintaining equipment and supplies, and following infection control procedures. In the Transitional Care Unit, the PCT follows newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education, helps coordinate care and modality transitions, and assists patients in understanding home dialysis options. The position involves direct patient care in a health care facility and requires travel between assigned facilities and community locations; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may also be required.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet applicable CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required state or CMS timeline.
Meet all 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 to remain employed.
Successfully complete CPR certification to remain employed.
Ability to perform direct patient care involving frequent, prolonged standing and bending; heavy lifting and moving of patients; and assistance with ambulation.
Ability to lift and lower solutions frequently up to 30 pounds and occasionally up to 40 pounds, as high as five feet; may occasionally push or pull equipment with up to 15 pounds of force.
Ability to travel between assigned facilities and locations within the community; 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 accommodations may be considered.

Nice To Haves

Previous 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.
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, weights, and vascular access evaluations.
Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood flow and dialysate flow settings.
Monitor patients and their response to dialysis; evaluate intradialytic problems and intervene as prescribed or directed.
Perform treatment reinfusion and discontinuation procedures, assess patients before discharge, obtain hemostasis, and apply appropriate dressings.
Calculate and enter prescribed dialysis machine programming, including ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and UF modeling.
Ensure appropriate machine safety alarms are enabled and perform safety checks according to facility policy.
Document treatment parameters, vital signs, evaluations, interventions, and patient responses accurately and promptly; complete treatment sheets and applicable progress notes.
Report significant information, changes in condition, and unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Monitor vascular access pressures during treatment and document, report, and respond to unusual findings as appropriate.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests, prepare and label specimens, store them according to specifications, and coordinate collection by the appropriate laboratory courier.
Clean blood spills promptly using the appropriate disinfectant and facility procedures.
Prepare and organize supplies and equipment efficiently to avoid waste.
Monitor patients performing self-care under RN supervision.
Assist with training applicable direct patient care staff under nurse supervision.
Maintain a safe and clean environment; clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare machines for treatment, conduct required pretreatment alarm tests including Pressure Holding Test (PHT), and initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
Participate in and document Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activities.
Enter treatment data into the designated clinical application and review treatment sheets for completeness, signatures, and appropriate corrections.
Prepare initial patient charts and paperwork and prepare or print laboratory requisitions for prescribed or stat specimens.
Assist with infection control audits, support adherence to infection control practices, follow infection control policies, and reinforce patient and family education under direction 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, liaise with staff to support the patient experience and scheduled multidisciplinary visits, and help patients understand home dialysis products and options.
Set up and perform treatments on machines used in the Transitional Care Unit, demonstrate peritoneal dialysis setup, and assist with coordination of transitions to patients’ chosen modalities.
Assist with Transitional Care Unit supply ordering and inventory.