Patient Care Technician Preceptor - PCT - Dialysis

About the job

Fresenius Kidney Care is hiring a full-time patient care technician (PCT) preceptor for dialysis in Spokane, Washington. On the dialysis care team, under a licensed nurse's direct supervision, the preceptor sets up and runs hemodialysis machines and gives safe and effective dialysis treatments, while also training, orienting and evaluating other patient care staff.

What you'll do

• Greet assigned patients, take pre- and post-treatment vital signs, weight and evaluations, check the vascular access for patency, cannulate it, and give heparin as delegated or as state law allows
• As prescribed, enter machine settings for treatment time, the ultrafiltration (UF) goal and UF modeling, and start treatment at the ordered blood flow (QB) and dialysate flow (QD)
• Prepare machines, including pretreatment alarm testing such as Pressure Holding (PHT) and starting the Solution Delivery System (SDS), keep safety alarms such as Narrow Venous Limits (NVL) 160 enabled, and run machine safety checks
• Monitor patients and their vascular access during treatment, intervene as ordered or directed, report changes to the registered nurse or supervisor, and end treatment by established procedure, including hemostasis and dressings
• Record treatment details on the Hemodialysis Treatment Sheet and in the clinical application, review sheets for completeness, prepare admission charts, handle lab requisitions and specimens, and clean and disinfect stations between treatments
• Help educate patients on adequacy measures such as Online Clearance Monitoring (OLC), the Adequacy Monitoring Program (AMP) and Urea Kinetic Modeling (UKM), and monitor and assist patients doing self-care under an RN
• Serve as a preceptor in direct patient care training under state guidelines and the Clinical Services Clinical Training Manual(s), run ongoing competency evaluations and audits of other PCTs, and help recruit new clinical staff
• Help orient and train staff and give them developmental support, help run and possibly design educational programs for PCTs, and work with clinical managers and education coordinators on training, CQI and ESRD regulatory and legal requirements
• Promote infection control: assist with QAI audits, monitor staff and patient adherence under the CM's direction, reinforce practices with new hires, patients and families, and post quarterly reminders such as posters or flyers
• In the transitional care unit, follow new patients through their first 4 weeks of dialysis, coordinate their care, run treatments on all unit machines, explain home dialysis, demonstrate peritoneal dialysis set-up and help with supply ordering

What you need

• High school diploma or equivalent
• A valid national PCT certification, or a state-specific certification as CMS (Center for Medicaid/Medicare) defines it
• Any state licensure, education and training the job requires
• Attending and taking an active part in every applicable preceptor training program, plus Fresenius and public skill-based training as the clinical manager assigns
• Demonstrated commitment to the organization's culture, values and customer service standards
• Successful completion of the company's dialysis training program and of CPR certification, which continued employment depends on
• Able to do heavy lifting and moving of patients, help with ambulation, stand for frequent long periods and bend over; equipment aids, coworkers, a two-person assist program and material assist devices help with heavier items
• Able to occasionally push or pull equipment with up to 15 pounds of force, and to lift and lower solutions of up to 30 pounds frequently and up to 40 pounds occasionally, as high as 5 feet
• Taking the Ishihara color blindness test as a condition of employment; failing it does not rule out employment, and the company will consider reasonable accommodation

Preferred

• At least five years of patient care experience in a hospital or related facility

Schedule

• Full-time
• Travel between assigned facilities and community locations is required, and trips to regional, business unit and corporate meetings may also be needed

Benefits

• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• A 401(k) with a company match
• Paid time off and parental leave