Patient Care Technician - PCT - CCHT

Fresenius Medical Care•Clermont, FL

About The Position

The Patient Care Technician (PCT) works as part of a dialysis health care team, providing safe and effective dialysis therapy under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse and in accordance with organization policies, procedures, training, and applicable regulations. The role is responsible for setting up and operating hemodialysis machines, supporting a safe and clean work environment, and contributing to quality improvement and patient satisfaction initiatives. The technician welcomes and monitors patients throughout dialysis treatments; evaluates vascular access; obtains and records weights, vital signs, and treatment parameters; initiates and discontinues treatments according to prescribed orders and established procedures; monitors patient responses; and reports significant changes or unusual findings to a registered nurse or supervisor. Responsibilities also include machine safety checks, treatment documentation, laboratory specimen collection and preparation, infection-control practices, equipment and area disinfection, and support for patients performing self-care under RN supervision. In the Transitional Care Unit, the technician follows newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis, reinforces education as permitted by state law, coordinates with care team members, supports understanding of treatment options and home dialysis, performs treatments on unit machines, and assists with supply ordering and inventory. The position includes travel between assigned facilities and community locations, with possible travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings. The work takes place in a health care facility and may involve exposure to infectious materials, direct patient care, frequent standing and bending, and lifting or moving patients and supplies.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Must meet CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required state or CMS timeline.
Must meet all applicable state licensure, education, and training requirements.
Demonstrated commitment to organization culture, values, and customer service standards.
Successful completion of the organization dialysis training program is required for continued employment.
Successful completion of CPR certification is required for continued employment.
Ability to perform direct patient care that regularly involves heavy lifting and moving patients and assisting with ambulation; assistance equipment or coworkers may be 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; frequently lift and lower solutions up to 30 pounds and occasionally lift up to 40 pounds as high as five feet.
Ability to travel between assigned facilities and locations in the community; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may be required.
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.

Nice To Haves

Previous patient care experience in a hospital setting 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 well-being since their last treatment.
Evaluate vascular access for patency, perform cannulation, and administer heparin as delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and document pre-, intradialytic, and post-treatment vital signs and weights, and perform vascular access evaluations.
Initiate and discontinue dialysis treatment according to prescribed orders and established procedures.
Calculate and enter patient-specific machine programming for ultrafiltration goal, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling as prescribed; ensure appropriate safety alarms are enabled.
Monitor patient responses to dialysis, evaluate intradialytic problems, provide prescribed or directed interventions, and report significant changes or unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Perform and document patient evaluations and interventions, including vascular access pressure monitoring and hemostasis, and evaluate patients before discharge.
Observe patients and conduct machine safety checks according to facility policy.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests and collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange collection of specimens according to laboratory requirements.
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 programs under nurse supervision.
Follow organization policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices.
Maintain safe, clean, and orderly work areas; clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare dialysis treatments, perform required pretreatment machine alarm testing including Pressure Holding Test, and initiate the Solution Delivery System.
Participate in and document Continuous Quality Improvement activities; enter treatment data accurately and promptly into the designated clinical application.
Review treatment sheets for completeness and ensure missing or corrected entries are addressed by appropriate staff; prepare initial patient charts and paperwork.
Prepare or print laboratory requisitions and ensure specimens are collected by the appropriate laboratory courier.
Support infection-control audits and adherence to infection-control practices; reinforce patient and family education under the direction of the CM or designee as permitted by state law.
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 permitted by state law and liaise with facility staff to support the patient experience and scheduled care plan.
Help patients understand home dialysis products, benefits, and options, including demonstrating peritoneal dialysis setup; assist with transitions 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.