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 and CPR certification to remain employed.
• 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 perform the physical demands of the role, including frequent prolonged standing and bending; assisting with patient lifting, movement, and ambulation; occasionally pushing or pulling equipment with up to 15 pounds of force; frequently lifting and lowering solutions up to 30 pounds; and occasionally lifting up to 40 pounds as high as five feet. Assistance and material-aid devices are available for heavier items.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

• Welcome assigned patients and ask about their wellbeing since their last treatment.
• Assess 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 pre-treatment vascular access evaluations.
• Initiate dialysis according to prescribed orders, including blood flow and dialysate flow settings.
• Monitor patient responses and evaluate and address intradialytic problems as prescribed or directed.
• Obtain vital signs before reinfusion and perform and document functions required to discontinue treatment, including standing and sitting blood pressure checks and evaluation before termination of venous access.
• Obtain hemostasis and apply appropriate dressings; evaluate patients before discharge.
• Calculate and enter prescribed dialysis machine programming for ultrafiltration goals, treatment time, and ultrafiltration modeling.
• Ensure required safety alarms are enabled, including Narrow Venous Limits (NVL) 160, and conduct machine safety checks according to facility policy.
• Record vital signs, treatment parameters, evaluations, interventions, and patient responses accurately and promptly in the required treatment documentation and clinical application.
• Report significant information, changes in condition, unusual findings, and vascular access concerns to a registered nurse or supervisor.
• Obtain prescribed laboratory tests and collect, label, prepare, store, and arrange collection of specimens according to laboratory requirements.
• Clean blood spills promptly with appropriate disinfectant and prepare, organize, and use supplies and equipment efficiently to avoid 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.
• Maintain safe, clean, and orderly areas; clean and disinfect dialysis machine surfaces, chairs, equipment, and surrounding areas between treatments.
• Prepare for dialysis treatments, conduct and document required machine alarm testing, including Pressure Holding Testing (PHT), and initiate the Solution Delivery System (SDS).
• Complete and document ongoing participation in CQI activities; review treatment sheets for completeness and ensure missing entries or signatures are appropriately completed or corrected.
• Prepare initial patient charts and paperwork, and prepare or print laboratory requisitions for prescribed or stat 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 infection-control education as directed and 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 scheduled care.
• Help patients understand home dialysis products, the benefits of home dialysis, and how it may work for them; explain treatment options, including demonstrating peritoneal dialysis setup.
• Set up and perform treatments on all machines used in the Transitional Care Unit.
• Assist with transition to the patient’s chosen modality and with Transitional Care Unit supply ordering and inventory.