MED/SURG TELEMETRY - PATIENT CARE ASSISTANT

Summary:

Under the supervision and direction of a Registered Nurse, the patient care assistant performs various clerical duties and performs duties in the care and treatment of patients in accordance with established methods and procedures.

Other information:

High School graduate or equivalent.

Computer literacy required.

Completion of approved Patient Care Assistant course that is equivalent to Beebe¿s current Patient Care Assistant program

Responsibilities:

Patient hygiene: Consistently and independently provides direct patient care including bathing, mouth care, skin care, and ensures clean linen. Attentive to all of the patient's personal needs

Patient safety: Maintains a safe, clean environment for patients. Reports maintenance needs. Follows standard precautions and isolation protocols. Follows fall prevention policy. Follows standards for prevention of skin breakdown. Adheres to all established cleaning guidelines. Submits and tracks maintenance work orders for physical plant issues on the nursing unit. Promptly answers pneumatic tube system and utilizes appropriate follow-up.

Documentation: Accurately and promptly documents patient data including patient care, treatments, vital signs, and intake and output. Maintains paper charts in compliance with medical records guidelines. Ensures integrity of record, including patient identification on all chart forms. Ensures complete chart is sent with patient at time of transfer to another department, transfer to another facility or at discharge, to include both paper chart and electronic medical record documents. Ensures nursing unit is constantly prepared for an EMR downtime event, including maintenance of identified downtime devices and equipment, and keeping an adequate supply of all necessary materials to support the downtime process.

Collection of specimens: Collects specimens following policy. Aware of specimens needed and is active in obtaining.

Unit organization: Prepares patient rooms and beds for receiving patient admissions, returning surgical patients, transfers, or emergencies. Maintains safe, clean and organized patient/work area and . Maintains inventory of supplies: , forms and materials for unit and keeps inventory current. Assures prompt, appropriate storage of all supplies. Requests equipment and supplies needed to carry out physicians orders and ensures delivery. Responsible for assisting unit manager with identifying broken/problematic EMR devices (WOWs, tablets, wall PCs, desktop PCs), label printers, fax/printers and other equipment. Independently reports equipment issues to appropriate departments using established procedures, and tracks resolution of reported problems, escalating barriers to unit manager as needed.

Care and treatment: Assists with positioning, turning, lifting, and ambulating patients. Applies special equipment and completes treatments as directed. Accuchecks completed as directed.

Nutritional care: Distributes food trays / sets up trays promptly. Assists or feeds patients as necessary. Removes trays in a timely manner and documents accurate intake. Distributes drinking water and other nourishment to patients throughout the shift.

Patient rounds: Completes purposeful hourly rounds to assigned patients and anticipates patients needs. Responds promptly to call lights, patient requests, and initiates interventions.

Communication: Proficient in receiving, greeting, and directing patients, visitors, and hospital personnel, responding to routine inquiries and responding to questions. Quickly determines the need and responds accordingly. Promptly reports any changes observed in the condition or behavior of the patient to the nurse. Gives accurate Bedside Report as handoff to oncoming shift. Aware of changes in patient care plan and communicates this when handing off. Promptly monitors physician/provider orders in the electronic medical record (EMR) when necessary. Schedules studies and procedures appropriately, when needed. Communicates consults promptly and appropriately according to established procedure. Pages/contacts physician/provider when needed. Regularly reviews tasks lists for new and stat patient orders and alerts RN caring for patient of these orders on an ongoing basis.

Professional Accountability: Actively assists others and accepts additional duties or assignments. Timely completion of assigned education and annual competencies. Actively engaged in unit based councils and performance improvement. Recognizes unit needs and works to help facilitate solutions

Credentials:
Essential:
* BLS - Basic Life Saving certification

Competencies and skills:
Essential:
* Clear Communication Skills Both Written And Verbal
* Able To Keep Confidential Information Regarding Patients, Team Members
* Able To Withstand Crisis Situations
* Has Skills To Provides Customer Service To Patients, Team Members And Visitors
* Knowledge And Experience With Electronic Health Records

Education:
Essential:
* High school graduate or equivalent

L ocation: Hospital-Main Campus

Shift : 12 Hour Rotating Shifts

FTE: 0.600000

Work Status: Part Time GREATER THAN 32 hours