Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Pittsboro, NC

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 work environment, and participates in quality enhancement and continuous quality improvement activities intended to support patient satisfaction and treatment goals. The role provides direct patient support before, during, and after dialysis treatments. Duties include assessing patients and vascular access, obtaining and documenting vital signs and weights, initiating and discontinuing treatments according to prescribed orders and established procedures, monitoring patient responses, addressing issues as directed, and reporting significant changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. The PCT also performs treatment documentation, laboratory specimen handling, machine safety checks, infection-control tasks, and routine cleaning and preparation of equipment and treatment areas. In the Transitional Care Unit, the PCT supports newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education as permitted by state law, coordinates care with facility staff, and helps patients understand treatment options and home dialysis. The position requires travel between assigned facilities and community locations, and may require travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings. The work takes place in a health care facility and may involve exposure to infectious or contagious diseases or materials, frequent standing and bending, and lifting or moving patients and equipment.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the applicable state or CMS timeline.
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.
Pass 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 frequent, prolonged standing, bending, assisting with ambulation, and heavy lifting or moving of patients, with equipment or coworker assistance as available.
Ability to lift and lower solutions frequently up to 30 pounds and occasionally up to 40 pounds, including lifting as high as five feet; occasionally push or pull equipment using up to 15 pounds of force.
Ability to travel between assigned facilities and community locations; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may be required.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Assist health care team members with patient-specific education about adequacy measures, disease processes, and vascular access, where appropriate.
Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their previous treatment.
Evaluate vascular access patency, cannulate access, 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 intradialytic problems and intervene as prescribed or directed; monitor and document patient responses to therapy and interventions.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion, discontinue treatments according to established procedures, assess patients before termination of venous access, obtain hemostasis, apply dressings, and evaluate patients before discharge.
Calculate and enter prescribed machine programming, including ultrafiltration goal, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling; ensure required safety alarms are enabled.
Document treatment parameters, vital signs, evaluations, progress notes when applicable, and other patient treatment information accurately and promptly.
Report significant patient information, changes in condition, and unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Observe patients, conduct machine safety checks, and evaluate vascular access and arterial and venous monitoring pressures during treatment.
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.
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 and clean environmental conditions; clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare for dialysis treatments, conduct and document required machine alarm tests, including Pressure Holding Test, and initiate the Solution Delivery System.
Complete and document participation in Continuous Quality Improvement activities; enter treatment data into the designated clinical application accurately and promptly.
Review treatment sheets for completeness, confirm nursing signatures, and ensure omitted entries are completed or corrected by appropriate staff.
Prepare initial patient charts and paperwork for admission; prepare and print laboratory requisitions for prescribed or stat specimens.
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 direction as permitted by state law.
In the Transitional Care Unit, follow newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and coordinate transitional care.
Reinforce education and care information for new patients as permitted by state law, and liaise with appropriate staff to support the patient experience and scheduled multidisciplinary care.
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 supply ordering and inventory.