Hi, I just had a couple of questions in regards to duties that were once the water persons job and now are being moved to patient care. We are to start cleaning bicarb loop and doing a count of stock at the end of month. Does anyone else out there do this already? How long does it take? When do you do? Are there other things we will be doing in the future?
The units I work at do not have a very good relationship with the mach/water people. Is this common? We feel more and more duties are being forced on us, does anyone else share this feeling? Do you know why we are getting more stuff to do? Patient care techs must be certified but do the mach people?
Thank-you in advance for your responses, sorry for all the questions just trying to better understand direction and goals.

You left out a couple things. Technical was down sized, and you need to change your view how you look at the clinic. Water is one of the most important parts of a dialysis treatment and its not a technical job, technical just has always did it, You need to look at is as a clinic's responibilty and technical is just as much of the team as the nurse, pct etc. Now to answer your question. If the CM works with the trainer to get the inserving done the to complete daily water testing only takes 10 min. The day of having technical as your slave is over. Who know less about a facility then anyone the CM's and most AM don,t have a clue all they hear from the CM's I have no time. The CM is right because they are always off.

Newbie, i understand where you are coming from. There are more and more "technical responsibilities" put on the clinical staff. Please do not take it out on your mach/water people. It is not their fault. These decisions are made at high levels and they can not change it. The technicians are focusing on their primary goal, which is the safe and effective operation of the machinery. Taking the water system readings, cleaning the bicarb system, and counting inventory should be clinical responsibilities. The days of having the same technical person in the facility all day long are gone. And yes, the mach people must be certified by the manufacturer to work on the hemo machines. Good luck!

Thanks for the responses.
First, I have never treated ANYONE like a slave!
In the units I currently work in I might see the water/ mach person 1x per week and no one has the oppurtunity to talk to him.
Second, certified by the manufacturer? I talked to a couple of the water/mach people( saw them at store) and they go to Chicago for a week class and take a test that everyone passes!I on the othe hand must be BONNET certified and keep up with CEUs and pay every year to hold my liscenece. All that to make a fraction of the water/mach peolpe.
Thanks for the GOOD LUCK but from what I am hearing you may want to direct that to the water/mach people who will be let go because
NO WORK = NO JOB. The days of sitting at desk or "traveling" between units is coming to an end!
Thanks for the good luck

You must have your head in the sand to think that the technical staff sit at desks all day.

Newbie, the technical people have a massive amount of responsibilities that obviously you are not aware of. They have plenty of work to do, it is just different work than what you do. They are "behind the scenes" mostly, and you obviously do not see what their job entails. There are a lot of jobs that need to be done when the clinic is closed, and the clinical staff is not there to see what they do. They are under serious time constraints and schedules, and traveling between clinics compounds that. I'm not worried for them b/c I know they will always have work and jobs. I don't know why you seem so hostile towards the technical staff, but maybe you only see them 1x per week because of that hostility. Perhaps they prefer to come when the clinic is closed so they don't have to deal with that garbage. Just a thought.

I have held both positions(pct and et) and after "issues" with "management" in tech dept returned to(yet again!!) pct. I know there are bad apples in every job, maybe that's what you have been subjected to? Ets have plenty of oppurtunities to milk the system.Some do, some don't. As far as work being done after hours, all I can think of is disinfects, these could take lots of time and have to be done frequntly, repairs to water system or bicarb loop and then another disinfect.
At the same time I have seen numerous pcts who abuse the system and some that really sould not be working with pts.
I do agree that all staff should be certified by state or feds. I also think that ALL mangement should have a degree, shows commitment in my view.
My point is that we NEED to work as a team, not easy, I know! Your et may have numerous units, be on call, has to do disinfects evey other day, or may have to his job and his supervisors also!

Frank, if your with fms, during the next year tech dept WILL be "trimmed". Maybe not in your area but overall it will be done. How were techs doing all that work before and then work got moved to clinical but ets still get 40 with less work? Tech will be doing a report for each area/tech on how long each duty takes, not gonna be good. Watch and see.
newbie, either become an et or a nurse

Newbie

NO WORK = NO JOB?????
Do you realize that CKD is gowing at about a 7% growth in patient load per annum world wide and has been for the last 15 years. In my 26 years in the field it has done nothing but get bigger and much more wide spread. Techs will always have work as long as the modality hemodialysis requires treated water and the hemo machines continue to be designed and manufactured like they are now.All of those moving parts inside will and do wear out. When I first started we had about 30 patients, now we have over 300. As long as people continue to consume high glycemic(processed) foods this trend will continue. Our fast food lifestyles are slowly killing us.

quote:

Originally posted by newbie:
Thanks for the responses.
First, I have never treated ANYONE like a slave!
In the units I currently work in I might see the water/ mach person 1x per week and no one has the oppurtunity to talk to him.
Second, certified by the manufacturer? I talked to a couple of the water/mach people( saw them at store) and they go to Chicago for a week class and take a test that everyone passes!I on the othe hand must be BONNET certified and keep up with CEUs and pay every year to hold my liscenece. All that to make a fraction of the water/mach peolpe.
Thanks for the GOOD LUCK but from what I am hearing you may want to direct that to the water/mach people who will be let go because
NO WORK = NO JOB. The days of sitting at desk or "traveling" between units is coming to an end!
Thanks for the good luck

Sounds like a "career" PCT costing yourself money?
Don't hate the players, hate the game!
How about developing your own career into a licensed clinical position (LPN, RN)or transitioning to the "dark side" of dialysis technical/operational responsibilities.
I have hired a few PCTs throughout the years who have transitioned and became very competent to outstanding mechanical technicians at pay rates in excess of $20.00 + per hour. Perhaps you're one!