Patient Care Technician - PCT

Fresenius Medical Care•Bakersfield, CA

9d•$25 - $27

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 Program (QEP) and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activities intended to improve care and patient satisfaction. The position provides direct patient care throughout dialysis treatment, including welcoming patients, checking their condition and vascular access, obtaining weights and vital signs, initiating and monitoring treatments, responding to treatment issues as directed, documenting care, and preparing patients for discharge. The technician also performs machine safety checks, handles laboratory specimens, supports infection-control practices, and helps train applicable care staff under nursing supervision. In the Transitional Care Unit, the technician follows newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and helps coordinate transitional care, education, treatment options, modality transitions, equipment and supplies, and the patient experience. The role involves work in a health care facility, travel between assigned facilities and community locations, and direct patient care that includes frequent standing and lifting or moving patients and supplies.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Meet CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required 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.
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.
Ability to perform direct patient care involving heavy lifting and moving patients and assisting with ambulation.
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 as high as five feet, with assistance devices or coworkers available for heavier items.
Ability to travel between assigned facilities and various locations within the community; travel to regional, Business Unit, and Corporate meetings may be required.
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

Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their last treatment.
Evaluate vascular access for patency, perform cannulation, and administer heparin when delegated or permitted by state law.
Obtain and document pre- and post-treatment weights and vital signs, including required identification and vascular access evaluations.
Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood flow and dialysate flow settings.
Calculate and enter prescribed dialysis machine programming, including ultrafiltration goal, treatment time, and UF modeling.
Ensure required safety alarms are enabled, including Narrow Venous Limits (NVL) 160, and conduct machine safety checks according to facility policy.
Monitor patients’ responses to dialysis, evaluate intradialytic problems, and provide interventions as prescribed or directed.
Obtain vital signs before reinfusion, discontinue treatment according to established procedures, assess patients before termination of venous access, obtain hemostasis, apply dressings, and evaluate patients before discharge.
Document treatment parameters, vital signs, interventions, patient responses, and other required information accurately and promptly in treatment sheets, progress notes when applicable, and clinical applications.
Report significant patient information, changes in condition, and unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
Monitor vascular access during treatment, including arterial and venous pressures, provide appropriate interventions, and document and report findings.
Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; prepare, collect, label, store, and arrange courier collection of specimens according to laboratory specifications.
Prepare and use supplies and equipment efficiently to prevent wastage; clean blood spills with appropriate disinfectant according to facility policy.
Monitor patients performing self-care under RN supervision.
Assist in training applicable direct patient care staff on appropriate programs under nurse supervision.
Follow organization policies, procedures, and systems, including ethical business practices.
Maintain a safe, clean, and orderly environment; clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
Prepare for dialysis treatments, document as appropriate, complete required pretreatment machine alarm testing including Pressure Holding (PHT), and initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
Participate in and document CQI activities; review treatment sheets for completeness and ensure missing entries or signatures are addressed by appropriate staff.
Prepare initial patient charts for admission and compile paperwork for appropriate placement in the chart.
Assist with infection-control audits, reinforce infection-control practices, follow infection-control policies and procedures, and support patient and family education under the direction of the CM or designee as permitted by state law.
Follow newly admitted Transitional Care Unit 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 appropriate staff to support the patient experience and ensure appointments align with the care plan.
Help patients understand home dialysis products and benefits, treatment options, and modality choices, including demonstrating peritoneal dialysis setup.
Set up and perform treatments on 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.