Patient Care Technician- PCT- Training Provided

Fresenius Medical Care•Sellersville, PA

15d

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician 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, assisting with patient care and education, and maintaining a safe and clean treatment environment in accordance with organization policies, procedures, training, and applicable regulations. The technician supports Quality Enhancement Program and Continuous Quality Improvement activities, including initiatives related to patient satisfaction and process improvement. The position provides direct patient care throughout dialysis treatment, including assessing vascular access, obtaining and recording vital signs and weights, initiating and discontinuing treatments, monitoring patient responses, documenting treatment information, and reporting significant changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. The technician also collects and prepares laboratory specimens, follows infection-control procedures, maintains equipment and treatment areas, and supports patient transitions and education in the Transitional Care Unit. The work includes interaction with patients, facility staff, and physicians, along with desk and personal computer work. Travel between assigned facilities and locations in the community is required; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may also be required. The health care work environment has controlled air temperature and moderate noise and may involve exposure to infectious or contagious diseases and 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. A two-person assist program 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.
Meet Center for Medicaid/Medicare Services-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; continued employment depends on successful completion.
Successfully complete CPR certification; continued employment depends on successful completion.
Take the Ishihara Color Blindness test as a condition of employment; failure does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations may be considered.
Ability to perform the position's physical demands, including frequent prolonged standing and bending, patient lifting and moving, and the stated lifting, pushing, and pulling requirements.
Ability to travel between assigned facilities and various locations in the community.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Assist health care team members in providing patient-specific education about adequacy measures, the disease process, and vascular access, as appropriate.
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 pre-treatment vascular access evaluations.
Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood-flow and dialysate-flow settings.
Evaluate and respond to intradialytic problems as prescribed by physician order or as directed, and monitor patient response to therapy.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion, discontinue treatment according to established procedures, assess the patient before termination of venous access, obtain hemostasis, and apply appropriate dressings.
Evaluate patients before discharge and perform and document pre- and post-dialysis evaluations, weights, and vital signs with initial identification.
Calculate and enter prescribed dialysis machine programming, including ultrafiltration goal, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling.
Ensure appropriate machine safety alarms are enabled, including Narrow Venous Limits, and perform machine safety checks according to facility policy.
Record accurate and timely vital signs, treatment parameters, treatment information, and interventions in the required treatment sheets, progress notes, and clinical applications.
Report significant information, changes in patient condition, and unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor; document interventions and patient responses.
Evaluate vascular access during treatment, including arterial and venous monitoring pressures, and document and report unusual findings.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; prepare, collect, label, store, and arrange courier collection of specimens according to laboratory requirements.
Clean blood spills immediately with appropriate disinfectant and 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 organization business policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices.
Maintain safe, clean, and aesthetically appropriate work areas; clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare for dialysis treatments, conduct and document required machine alarm testing including Pressure Holding Test, and initiate the Solution Delivery System.
Complete and document ongoing participation in Continuous Quality Improvement activities.
Review treatment sheets for completeness, verify 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 or print laboratory requisitions for prescribed or stat specimens according to laboratory destination.
Assist in collecting information for infection-control audits and support staff and patient adherence to infection-control practices.
Follow infection-control policies and procedures and reinforce patient and family infection-control education under the direction of the Center Manager or designee, as allowed 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 allowed by state law, and liaise with appropriate staff to support the patient experience and schedule disciplines according to the care 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.
Assist patients in understanding treatment options, including demonstrating peritoneal dialysis setup, and help coordinate transitions to the patient's chosen modality.
Assist with Transitional Care Unit supply ordering and inventory.