Safety Specialist

Job Requirements

Minimum Education

• High school diploma or equivalent preferred
• AHA BLS CPR required within three months of hire.
• Obtain Crisis Avoidance Training (CAT) within 3 months of hire

Minimum Work Experience

• Experience with behavioral health patients in in-patient and out-patient settings preferred
• CNA, EMT, Security experience preferred.

Required Skills

• Good interpersonal skills, ability to work in stressful situations, ability to take direction, and excellent observational skills are required
• Willingness to do limited hands on care

Functional Demands

Physical Requirements

Exerts up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Frequently reaches (extending hands and arms in any direction), and handles (seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or working with hands).

Organizational Expectations

Behavioral Attributes

The following behavioral attributes are required: achievement motivation, concern for order, flexibility, initiative, self-confidence, customer service oriented, interpersonal effectiveness, teamwork, analytical thinking and information seeking.

Essential Functions

• Conducts interactions with everyone in a friendly, courteous and respectful manner.
• Goes out of his/her way to offer assistance to others. If he/she cannot offer assistance, then finds someone who can.
• Advocates to ensure privacy and confidentiality while helping others to maintain awareness.
• Maintains a clean and safe hospital.
• Responds appropriately and immediately in emergency situations.
• Maintains a safe and healthy environment for patients, visitors, and/or staff to provide the highest level of physical comfort, and minimize risk and injury.
• Ensures compliance with regulations to maintain accreditation and licensure.
• Complies with the Hospital Attendance and Tardiness Policy.
• Completed all Hospital and Department Specific Mandatory requirements in the prior calendar year.
• Reports Incidents in a timely and effective manner.
• All employees with direct patient contact are responsible for actively engaging in the practice of, monitoring and enforcing compliance to hand hygiene.
• Works together with departmental and healthcare teams to complete assignments.
• Maintains a clean and comfortable environment for patients and visitors.
• Prevents potential safety hazards from occurring by removing or arranging for the removal of safety hazards from the environment immediately.
• Prioritizes and reprioritizes work based on the changing needs of the customers.
• Ensures the safety of patients in the milieu.
• Performs patient checks, and documents the whereabouts of all patients every thirty minutes or more frequently if requested.
• Accounts for all patients' locked belongings and sharps, ensuring they are signed out and back in by the end of the shift.
• Greets and directs all patients, visitors, and hospital personnel that come onto the Units.
• Responds to patient and visitor needs, as well as, provides information and refers matters of concern to staff.
• Provides input and patient information to the team that contributes to the safety needs, development, and implementation of the patient care plan.
• Delivers trays to patients and monitors patient meals.
• Assists patients in completing menus and obtaining additional nutritional needs.
• Provides specialized suicide watch to patients needing it to ensure their safety.
• Maintains and promotes therapeutic milieu to enhance patients' care of plan and treatment.
• Encourages patient conversations, participation in therapy and inter-patient relationships while observing behaviors.
• Acts as a liaison between patients and staff by providing information on patient behaviors to ensure patient safety, as well as, enhance care planning and treatment.

Statement of Other Duties

This document describes the major duties and responsibilities for this job, and is not intended to be a complete list of all tasks and functions. It should be understood, therefore, that employees may be asked to perform job-related duties beyond those explicitly described.