Patient Care Technician Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED.
• Meet CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the applicable state or CMS timeline.
• Meet any applicable state licensure, education, and training requirements.
• Demonstrate commitment to the organization's culture, values, and customer service standards.
• Successfully complete the organization's dialysis training program; continued employment depends on successful completion.
• Successfully complete CPR certification; continued employment depends on successful completion.
• Take the Ishihara Color Blindness test as a condition of employment; failure does not preclude employment, and reasonable accommodations may be considered.
• Ability to perform the described physical functions, including frequent prolonged standing and bending, patient lifting and movement, and lifting or lowering solutions up to the stated weights, with assistance or devices available for heavier items.

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, as appropriate.
• Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their previous treatment.
• Evaluate vascular access for patency, perform cannulation, and administer heparin when delegated or permitted by state law.
• Obtain and document pre-, intra-, and post-treatment vital signs and weights, including required access evaluations and patient identification.
• Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood flow and dialysate flow, and program ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling as prescribed.
• Evaluate and intervene in intradialytic problems as prescribed or directed, monitor patient response, and report significant changes or unusual findings to the registered nurse or supervisor.
• Perform the required procedures to discontinue dialysis, assess patients before termination and discharge, obtain hemostasis, and apply appropriate dressings.
• Ensure required safety alarms are enabled and conduct patient observations and machine safety checks according to facility policy.
• Document treatment parameters, vital signs, evaluations, interventions, patient responses, and other required information accurately and promptly in treatment sheets and clinical applications.
• Evaluate vascular access during treatment, including arterial and venous monitoring pressures, intervene as needed, and document and report unusual findings.
• Obtain prescribed laboratory tests; collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange appropriate courier collection of specimens.
• Clean blood spills immediately with appropriate disinfectant and prepare, organize, 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.
• Follow organizational business policies, procedures, systems, and ethical business practices.
• Maintain safe and clean facility areas and clean and disinfect dialysis machines, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
• Prepare for dialysis treatments, conduct and document required machine alarm testing including Pressure Holding Test (PHT), and initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
• Participate in and document ongoing CQI activities; review treatment sheets for completeness, nursing signatures, and correction of omitted entries by appropriate staff.
• Prepare initial patient charts and paperwork for admission, and prepare or 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 education under appropriate direction.
• Follow newly admitted patients through their first four weeks of dialysis and coordinate transitional dialysis care.
• Reinforce education and care matters for new patients as allowed by state law, and liaise with appropriate staff to support the patient experience and scheduled multidisciplinary care.
• Help patients understand home-dialysis products, the benefits of home dialysis, treatment options, and peritoneal dialysis setup demonstrations.
• Set up and perform treatments on machines used in the Transitional Care Unit, assist with transitions to the patient's chosen modality, and help coordinate TCU supply ordering and inventory.