Patient Care Technician - PCT CCHT - Dialysis

Fresenius Medical Care • Baltimore, MD

8d • $17 - $28 • 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 follows organization policies, procedures, and training, as well as applicable corporate, state, and federal regulations. The technician sets up and operates hemodialysis machines, helps maintain a safe and clean care environment, and supports quality enhancement and continuous quality improvement activities.

The position provides direct patient care throughout dialysis treatment, including welcoming patients, assessing their wellbeing and vascular access, taking vital signs and weights, initiating and monitoring prescribed treatments, responding to treatment issues, and documenting care. It also involves preparing and handling laboratory specimens, maintaining equipment and infection-control practices, supporting patient education and self-care, and assisting with the training of applicable staff under nurse supervision.

For transitional care patients, the technician follows newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education, helps coordinate care and modality transitions, supports understanding of home dialysis options, and assists with treatment setup, supplies, and inventory. This is a float position serving the Baltimore, Maryland area and requires travel between assigned facilities and locations in the community. The work is performed in a health care facility and may involve exposure to infectious materials, frequent standing and bending, and lifting or moving patients and supplies.

A high school diploma or GED is required. The technician must meet applicable CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required timeline and complete the organization’s dialysis training program and CPR certification for continued employment. Dialysis experience and CCHT are specified for this float position. Pay is $17.00–$28.00 per hour, depending on location and qualifications.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED.
• Meet CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required state or CMS timeline.
• Meet any applicable state licensure, education, and training requirements.
• Dialysis experience and CCHT are required for this float position.
• Successful completion of the organization’s dialysis training program and CPR certification is required for continued employment.
• Demonstrated commitment to the organization’s culture, values, and customer service standards.
• Ability to travel between assigned facilities and various locations in the community.
• Ability to perform direct patient-care tasks involving frequent, prolonged standing and bending, and lifting or moving patients and supplies; solutions may need to be lifted up to 30 pounds frequently and up to 40 pounds occasionally.
• Must take the Ishihara color blindness test as a condition of employment; failing the test does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations will be considered.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

• Assist the health care team in providing patient-specific education about adequacy measures, disease processes, and vascular access, as appropriate.
• Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their last treatment.
• Assess vascular access, 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.
• Assess and respond to intradialytic problems as prescribed or directed, monitor patient responses, and report significant changes to the registered nurse or supervisor.
• Perform and document treatment discontinuation procedures, including pre-reinfusion vital signs, standing and sitting blood pressure, hemostasis, dressings, and evaluation before discharge.
• Calculate and enter prescribed patient machine programming, including ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling; ensure required safety alarms are enabled.
• Record accurate and timely treatment information, vital signs, parameters, evaluations, and interventions in the designated records and clinical application.
• Conduct patient and machine safety checks and report changes or unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
• Monitor vascular access pressures during treatment, intervene as needed, and document and report unusual findings.
• Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange courier collection of specimens according to requirements.
• Clean blood spills promptly using the appropriate disinfectant and prepare and use supplies and equipment efficiently to prevent waste.
• Monitor patients performing self-care under registered nurse supervision.
• Assist with training applicable direct patient care staff on appropriate programs under nurse supervision.
• Maintain safe and clean areas; clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
• Prepare for dialysis, perform and document required machine alarm testing, including Pressure Holding Tests, and initiate the Solution Delivery System.
• Participate in and document ongoing Continuous Quality Improvement activities; review treatment sheets for completeness and ensure omissions are corrected by appropriate staff.
• Prepare initial patient charts and paperwork, and prepare and print laboratory requisitions for prescribed or stat specimens.
• Assist with infection-control audits, reinforce adherence to infection-control practices, and support infection-control education for patients and families as permitted by state law.
• Follow newly admitted transitional-care patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and coordinate transitional care.
• Reinforce education and care information for new patients, coordinate with appropriate staff to support the patient experience, and help ensure disciplines are scheduled according to the care plan.
• Help patients understand home dialysis products and benefits, treatment options, and peritoneal dialysis setup; assist with transition to the patient’s chosen modality.
• Set up and perform treatments on machines used in the transitional care unit and assist with its supply ordering and inventory.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Potential performance-based bonuses, depending on company and individual performance, for bonus-eligible positions

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED