Patient Care Technician - PCT CCHT - Dialysis

Fresenius Medical Care•Inglewood, CA

7d•$25 - $30•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician (PCT) works as part of the dialysis health care team to provide safe and effective dialysis therapy under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse. The role follows organizational policies, procedures, and training, as well as applicable state and federal regulations. The technician sets up and operates hemodialysis machines, helps maintain a safe and clean work environment, and supports the organization’s Quality Enhancement Program (QEP), continuous quality improvement (CQI), patient satisfaction, and process-improvement activities. The position involves welcoming and monitoring patients, assessing vascular access, initiating and discontinuing dialysis treatments, monitoring patient response, responding to treatment issues as directed, documenting care, and reporting changes in condition to the registered nurse or supervisor. Other duties include machine safety checks, laboratory specimen handling, infection-control activities, equipment and area cleaning, and supporting staff training under nurse supervision. In the Transitional Care Unit, the technician 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 and treatment options. The position requires travel between assigned facilities and locations in the community; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may also be required. The work takes place in a healthcare facility and may involve exposure to infectious or contagious diseases and materials, frequent prolonged standing, bending, patient lifting and movement, and lifting solutions and supplies. An Ishihara color blindness test is required as a condition of employment; failing the test does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations will be considered.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
Must meet CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the applicable state or CMS timeline.
Must meet all applicable state licensure, education, and training requirements.
Demonstrated commitment to the organization’s culture, values, and customer service standards.
Successful completion of the organization’s dialysis training program is required for continued employment.
Successful completion of CPR certification is required for continued employment.
Ability to perform direct patient care involving frequent, prolonged standing and bending, and heavy lifting and moving of patients or assisting with ambulation.
Ability to occasionally push or pull equipment using up to 15 pounds of force; frequently lift and lower solutions up to 30 pounds; and occasionally lift up to 40 pounds to a height of five feet. Assistance devices and two-person assistance are available for heavier items.
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.
Ability to travel between assigned facilities and locations in the community; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may be required.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their last treatment.
Assist with patient-specific education regarding adequacy measures, disease processes, and vascular access, as appropriate.
Evaluate vascular access for patency, cannulate access, and administer heparin when delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and record pre- and post-treatment vital signs and weights, and perform vascular access evaluations.
Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood flow and dialysate flow settings.
Evaluate intradialytic problems and intervene as prescribed or directed; monitor and document patient responses.
Perform the tasks needed to reinfuse and discontinue dialysis treatment according to established procedures, including evaluating patients before termination and obtaining standing and sitting blood pressure readings.
Obtain hemostasis and apply appropriate dressings; evaluate patients before discharge.
Calculate and enter prescribed dialysis machine programming, including ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling.
Ensure prescribed safety alarms are enabled, including Narrow Venous Limits (NVL) 160, and perform machine safety checks according to facility policy.
Document treatment parameters, vital signs, evaluations, interventions, and other patient treatment information accurately and promptly, including treatment sheets and progress notes when applicable.
Report significant information, changes in patient condition, and unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Evaluate vascular access during treatment, including arterial and venous monitoring pressures; intervene as needed, document, and report unusual findings.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange courier collection of specimens according to laboratory requirements.
Clean blood spills promptly with the 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 incorporated into training.
Maintain a safe and clean environment; clean and disinfect dialysis machine surfaces, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare for dialysis treatments, document as appropriate, complete required pretreatment machine alarm tests including Pressure Holding (PHT), and initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
Participate in and document Continuous Quality Improvement activities; enter treatment data accurately and promptly into the designated clinical application.
Review treatment sheets for completeness, verify nursing signatures, and ensure omitted entries are completed or corrected by appropriate staff.
Prepare initial patient charts and admission paperwork, and prepare or print requisitions for prescribed or stat laboratory specimens.
Assist with infection-control audits, support staff and patient adherence to infection-control practices, follow infection-control policies and procedures, and reinforce patient and family education 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 scheduling of disciplines according to the care plan.
Help patients understand home dialysis products, the benefits of home dialysis, and how it may work for them; demonstrate peritoneal dialysis setup and explain treatment options as appropriate.
Set up and perform treatments on all machines used in the Transitional Care Unit.
Assist with coordination of transitions to patients’ chosen modalities and with Transitional Care Unit supply ordering and inventory.