PATIENT CARE ASSISTANT

Position Summary

Functions as a direct patient caregiver performing tasks to assist registered nurses. Performs hands-on care, assistance with ADL's and specified technical tasks for a group of patients under the supervision of the Team Leader. May also function as a sitter for patients in need of full-time supervision in the hospital.

Responsibilities

• Takes and records temperature, pulse, respiration rates, blood pressures, weights, heights, and intake-output measurements.
• Encourages patients to turn, cough, and take deep breaths and to use incentive spirometry as specified by Plan of Care.
• Ambulates, and assists patients in and out of bed, into wheelchairs and transports when necessary.
• Attends to nutritional needs of patient which may include distributing meal trays, feeding, filling and passing out water pitchers.
• Makes morning or evening care rounds, which may include bed bath, oral hygiene, combing hair, back care, dressing patient, changing bed linen, cleaning over-bed table and bedside stand, straightening room, and other supportive care as needed.
• Empty drains, canisters, urine bags, bedpans and emesis basins and records intake and output.
• Assists in maintaining a safe environment, which may include reporting equipment that is out of order, appropriate handling of linen and storing of supplies.
• Provides general care such as positioning, lifting or turning patients; assisting in use of bedpan, urinal or commode; preoperative supportive care; and application/removal of abdominal binders or anti-embolism stockings and sequential compression devices.
• Empty & cleans ostomy bag, per procedure.
• Collects urine, stool and sputum specimens as ordered.
• Performs tasks such as ROM, assists with ambulatory devices as specified by the patients' plan of care.
• Performs phlebotomy (requires additional training).
• To include correct labeling using two patient identifiers, maintenance of lab-draw supplies, rotating and restocking.
• Performs EKG (requires special training).
• Promptly answers patient call lights and responds to patient requests.
• Reports significant changes in patients' condition to RN.
• Helps to maintain clean and orderly patient and work environment.
• Employ all established infection control policies including standard precautions, transmission-based isolation precautions, OSHA standards, safety measures and proper body mechanics in performance of job.
• Documents/maintains patient record as appropriate.
• Gathers equipment for O2 set up. Checks O2 for connection and proper placement. Checks for proper functioning of equipment at patient bedside.
• Ambulates patients with oxygen.
• Sets up suction equipment and checks for proper function.
• Demonstrates knowledge and competency in providing for age-specific needs of the population served.
• Demonstrates ability to perform skills on the Nursing Assistant checklist.
• Follows policies, procedures, and safety standards.
• Completes required education assignments annually.
• Works toward achieving goals and objectives, and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
• Must be trained and willing to function in a Sitter capacity for patients who need full-time supervision in the hospital.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Education: None specified; will accept any combination of formal education and/or prior work experience sufficient to demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skill and ability needed to perform the essential tasks of the job, typically such as would be equivalent to a high school diploma or GED.

Minimum Experience: None.

Licensure Requirement: CPR required.