Patient Care Associate-Operating Room

About the Role

Works under the direct supervision of a registered nurse to participate in the delivery of patient care for the improvement of quality of life for patients and families. Provides assistance to the nursing staff in preparing the patient and the operating room environment for surgery, and for providing assistance to the nursing and medical staff during surgical procedures. Job is performed appropriately for the age population served, as defined in the department's scope of service.

Performance Criteria

• Everyday Excellence Values
  • Demonstrates courtesy and caring to patients, families, physicians, and the community.
  • Takes initiative in living the organization’s values and vital signs.
  • Identifies customer needs proactively.
  • Participates willingly and enthusiastically in teamwork.
  • Respects the dignity and privacy of customers through personal actions and environmental attention.
  • Keeps customers informed, answers questions, and anticipates information needs.
• Corporate Compliance
  • Demonstrates commitment to the Code of Conduct, Conflict of Interest Guidelines, and Corporate Compliance Guidelines.
  • Maintains accurate and reliable patient/organizational records.
  • Communicates honestly and completely; behaves fairly and nondiscriminatorily.
• Personal Achievement
  • Uses accepted procedures to complete assignments.
  • Applies creative and proactive solutions to achieve objectives under high workloads.
  • Adheres to high moral principles of honesty, loyalty, sincerity, and fairness.
  • Upholds the ethical standards of the organization.
• Performance Improvement
  • Optimizes talents, skills, and abilities to exceed customer expectations.
  • Initiates or redesigns processes to improve work efficiency.
  • Contributes ideas and suggestions for improving work approaches.
  • Participates willingly in organizational or departmental quality initiatives.
• Cost Management
  • Effectively manages time and resources.
  • Utilizes organizational resources—material, human, and financial—consciously and efficiently.
  • Consistently seeks and implements resource-saving processes.
• Patient & Employee Safety
  • Communicates, demonstrates, coordinates, and emphasizes patient and employee safety.
  • Proactively reports errors, potential errors, injuries, or potential injuries.
  • Adheres to department-specific safety standards at all times.
  • Uses proper safety techniques, equipment, and devices; follows safety policies, procedures, and plans.

Responsibilities

• Patient Care Assistance
  • Performs surgical shave preps as required by procedures and protocols.
  • Maintains and practices universal precautions and aseptic technique.
  • Handles and/or delivers blood, medications, and other items for surgical patients following department protocols.
  • Provides assistance with OR procedures according to protocol.
• Technical Procedures
  • Obtains appropriate equipment and supplies for procedures.
  • Cleans equipment as required and follows departmental procedures for proper cleaning.
  • Retrieves medications from the pharmacy in accordance with policy.
• Patient Transport
  • Transports patients to and from the Operating Room using proper body mechanics and infection control procedures.
  • Identifies self to staff on the unit; retrieves patient charts/notes as needed.
  • Transfers patients from bed to stretcher or wheelchair following proper procedures.
  • Properly drapes/covers patients during transport.
  • Notifies OR staff of patient arrival.
  • Cleans stretchers, wheelchairs, and other equipment according to infection control guidelines.
  • Reports repair needs to supervisor upon discovery.
  • Returns all equipment to proper locations at the end of the shift.
• Environmental Maintenance
  • Assists in cleaning assigned OR rooms between cases in a timely manner.
  • Routes instruments and equipment to appropriate areas for cleaning/processing.
  • Assists in inventory and orderly storage of supplies.
  • Reports unsafe conditions to the RN in charge immediately.
  • Ensures patient safety by maintaining OR tables and stretchers in low positions, beds locked, side rails up, and properly securing patients during transport.
  • Regularly monitors and restocks anesthesia carts within defined timelines.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Hospital experience desirable.
• High school diploma or equivalent preferred.

Skills & Qualifications

• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Certification, Basic EMT Certification, Military Medic experience, or Nursing Student with completion of fundamental nursing clinical in an RN program desired.

Compliance & Safety

• HIPAA Requirements
  • Maintains knowledge of and adherence to HIPAA regulations, including but not limited to: medical records (paper and electronic), patient demographics, lab/radiology results, patient information related to surgery or appointments, quality data, patient complaints, patient location, religious beliefs, and research information.
• Safety Requirements
  • Maintains knowledge of and adherence to safety practices, including but not limited to: incident reporting, handling of wastes/sharps/linen, PPE, exposure control plans, hand washing, environment of care, patient identification, transporting patients/medications/blood, monitoring clinical alarms, and patient positioning.