Patient Care Technician

About This Role

Functions as part of the dialysis healthcare team, providing safe and effective dialysis therapy for patients under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse. Responsible for the setup and operation of hemodialysis machines and maintaining a safe and clean working environment.

Responsibilities

• Assist other healthcare team members in providing patient-specific education regarding adequacy measures and disease process/access.
• Welcome assigned patients, evaluate vascular access, perform cannulation, and administer heparin as delegated.
• Obtain necessary pre and post-treatment vital signs and weight.
• Initiate dialysis treatment according to prescribed orders, including blood flow and dialysate flow.
• Evaluate intradialytic problems and provide intervention as prescribed or directed.
• Monitor patients’ response to dialysis therapy and perform interventions for unusual patient status.
• Discontinue dialysis treatment, obtain hemostasis, and apply appropriate dressings.
• Perform and record pre and post-dialysis evaluation, weight, and vital signs.
• Calculate and enter individual patients’ dialysis machine programming for Ultrafiltration (UF) goal, treatment time, and UF modeling.
• Ensure appropriate safety alarms are enabled and record accurate and timely information on the Hemodialysis Treatment Sheet.
• Report any significant information or change in patient condition directly to the registered nurse or supervisor.
• Perform and document any intervention for unusual patient status and document patients' response to intervention.
• Obtain all prescribed laboratory testing and prepare specimens for collection.
• Clean and disinfect dialysis machine surface, chair, equipment, and surrounding area between treatments.
• Collect, label, prepare, and store lab samples according to laboratory specifications.
• Assist in collecting information for infection control audits and support staff/patient adherence to practices.
• Follow new admitted patients through their first 4 weeks of dialysis, coordinating transitional dialysis care and reinforcing education.

Requirements

• High School diploma or G.E.D. required
• Meet CMS-approved state and/or national certification requirements within the required state or CMS timeline

Qualifications

• High School diploma or G.E.D.
• Previous patient care experience in a hospital setting or a related facility preferred.

Nice to Have

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

Certifications