Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Missoula, MT

12d

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician (PCT) is part of the dialysis health care team and provides safe, 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) and continuous quality improvement activities. The technician follows organizational policies and procedures and applicable corporate, state, and federal regulations. The PCT supports patients throughout dialysis treatment, including preparing for treatment, monitoring patient condition and machine safety, documenting treatment information, and reporting significant changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. The role also includes collecting and preparing laboratory specimens, supporting infection control practices, and assisting with patient education as permitted by state law and under appropriate supervision. In the Transitional Care Unit, the PCT follows newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education, coordinates care with relevant staff, supports understanding of home dialysis and treatment options, and assists with transition to the patient’s chosen modality. The position involves direct patient care, travel between assigned facilities and community locations, and exposure to the conditions typical of a health care facility.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet applicable CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required 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; continued employment is dependent on successful completion.
Successfully complete CPR certification; continued employment is dependent 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 direct patient care involving regular heavy lifting and moving of patients and assisting with ambulation, with equipment or coworker assistance as available.
Ability to stand for frequent, prolonged periods and bend over.
Ability to occasionally push or pull equipment using up to 15 pounds of force.
Ability to frequently lift and lower solutions weighing up to 30 pounds and occasionally lift up to 40 pounds to a height of five feet.

Nice To Haves

Previous patient care experience in a hospital or related facility.

Responsibilities

Assist health care team members with patient-specific education about adequacy measures, disease processes, and vascular access where appropriate.
Welcome assigned patients and inquire about their wellbeing since their previous treatment.
Evaluate vascular access patency, perform cannulation, and administer heparin as delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and document pre- and post-treatment vital signs and weight, 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 directed by clinical staff, and monitor patient response to therapy.
Perform procedures to discontinue treatment, assess the patient before termination and discharge, obtain hemostasis, and apply appropriate dressings.
Calculate and enter prescribed dialysis machine programming, including ultrafiltration goal, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling; ensure required safety alarms are enabled.
Document vital signs, treatment parameters, evaluations, interventions, and other treatment information accurately and promptly in the required records and clinical application.
Report significant information, changes in patient condition, and unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Observe patients and conduct machine safety checks according to facility policy; document interventions and patient responses.
Monitor vascular access pressures during treatment, intervene as appropriate, and report and document unusual findings.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; prepare, label, store, and arrange collection of laboratory specimens according to laboratory requirements.
Clean blood spills promptly with the appropriate disinfectant and prepare, organize, and use supplies and equipment efficiently.
Monitor patients performing self-care under the supervision of a registered nurse.
Assist in training applicable direct patient care staff on appropriate programs under nurse supervision.
Follow organizational business policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices.
Maintain a safe, clean environment; clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare dialysis equipment, perform required pre-treatment machine alarm testing including Pressure Holding Test (PHT), and initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
Participate in and document ongoing Continuous Quality Improvement activities; review treatment sheets for completeness and ensure missing or incorrect entries are addressed by appropriate staff.
Prepare initial patient charts and paperwork, print laboratory requisitions, and ensure specimens are collected by the appropriate laboratory courier.
Assist with infection control audits, support adherence to infection control practices, follow infection control policies and procedures, and reinforce patient and family infection control education under appropriate direction.
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, coordinate with relevant staff to support the patient experience and scheduled care, and help patients understand home dialysis and treatment options.
Set up and perform treatments on machines used in the Transitional Care Unit, demonstrate peritoneal dialysis setup as appropriate, assist with transitions to the selected modality, and help coordinate supply ordering and inventory.