Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Asheboro, NC

About The Position

Functions as part of the dialysis health care team, providing safe and effective dialysis therapy under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse and in accordance with organizational policies, training, and applicable regulations. The role is responsible for setting up and operating hemodialysis machines, maintaining a safe and clean work environment, and supporting the Quality Enhancement Program (QEP), continuous quality improvement (CQI), patient satisfaction, and process improvement activities. The Patient Care Technician welcomes and monitors patients, performs and documents pre-, intra-, and post-treatment procedures, operates dialysis equipment according to prescribed orders, evaluates vascular access, and responds to patient or equipment concerns by intervening as directed and reporting significant findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. The position also handles laboratory specimens, treatment records, equipment cleaning and testing, infection-control activities, and supplies. In the Transitional Care Unit, the technician supports new patients during their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education, coordinates care with facility staff, and helps patients understand treatment and home-dialysis options. The work includes desk and personal-computer tasks, interaction with patients and health care staff, and travel between assigned facilities and community locations. Travel to regional, Business Unit, and corporate meetings may be required. The work environment is characteristic of a health care facility, with controlled air temperature and moderate noise; exposure to infectious or contagious diseases and materials may occur. The position involves direct patient care, frequent and prolonged standing, bending, and lifting or moving patients. Employees may occasionally push or pull equipment with up to 15 pounds of force, frequently lift or lower solutions weighing up to 30 pounds, and occasionally lift up to 40 pounds to a height of five feet. Assistance and material-handling 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 (CMS)-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the applicable state or CMS timeline.
Hold any state licensure and complete education or training required for the role.
Demonstrate commitment to the organization's culture, values, and customer-service standards.
Successfully complete the organization's dialysis training program as a condition of continued employment.
Successfully complete CPR certification as a condition of continued employment.
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 described physical functions, including frequent prolonged standing, bending, patient lifting and movement, and lifting or lowering solution containers up to the stated weights.

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 on adequacy measures, disease processes, 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 evaluate vascular access before treatment.
Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood-flow and dialysate-flow settings.
Calculate and enter patient-specific machine programming for ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling as prescribed.
Ensure required safety alarms are enabled, including Narrow Venous Limits (NVL) 160.
Monitor patients' response to dialysis, evaluate intradialytic problems, and provide interventions as prescribed or directed.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion and perform the required steps to discontinue treatment according to established procedures.
Evaluate patients before termination of venous access, obtain standing and sitting blood pressure readings, achieve hemostasis, and apply appropriate dressings.
Evaluate patients before discharge and complete and document pre- and post-dialysis evaluations, weights, and vital signs with initial identification.
Record accurate, timely vital signs, treatment parameters, and treatment information on the Hemodialysis Treatment Sheet and in the designated clinical application; complete applicable progress notes.
Report significant information, changes in patient condition, unusual findings, and vascular-access concerns to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Observe patients and conduct machine safety checks according to facility policy; document interventions and patient responses to unusual status.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange courier 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.
Assist with training applicable direct patient care staff on appropriate programs under nurse supervision.
Follow organizational 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 according to facility policy.
Prepare for dialysis treatments, document as appropriate, perform required pretreatment machine alarm testing including Pressure Holding Test (PHT), and initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
Complete and document ongoing participation in CQI activities.
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 laboratory destination.
Assist in collecting information for infection-control audits, support staff and patient adherence to infection-control practices, and follow infection-control policies and procedures.
Participate in and reinforce infection-control education for patients and families under the direction of the CM 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 information for new patients as allowed by state law, and liaise with appropriate staff to support the patient experience and ensure appointments with 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.
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.