PATIENT CARE SUPPORT ASST

Patient Care Support Assistant

The Patient Care Support Assistant functions as direct support in patient care, performing tasks to assist nurses and providers. This position supports the Medical Surgical Unit and Emergency Room with patient care, housekeeping, HUC, sitter, and transporting of patients.

• Takes and records temperature, pulse, respiration rates, blood pressures, oxygen saturation, weights, heights, and intake-output measurements.
• Documents/maintains patient record as appropriate.
• Promptly answers patient call lights and responds to patient requests.
• Answers telephone and intercoms; relays and documents messages.
• Helps to ensure that follow-up to patients' requests is timely.
• Ambulates and assists patients in and out of bed, into wheelchairs, and transport when necessary (on oxygen if required).
• Maintains open lines of communication between patients, family, physicians, peers, and leadership.
• Encourages patients to turn, cough, and take deep breaths as specified by plan of care.
• Empties canisters, urine bags, bedpans, and emesis basins and records intake and output.
• Provides general care such as positioning, lifting, or turning patients; assisting in use of bedpan, urinal, or commode.
• Performs EKG (requires special training).
• Assists in maintaining a safe environment, which may include checking equipment daily for proper function and reporting equipment that is out of order, appropriate handling of linen, and storing of supplies.
• Gathers equipment for O2 set up. Checks O2 for connection and proper placement.
• Checks for proper functioning of equipment at patient bedside.
• 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 as assigned on the Nursing Assistant checklist.
• Employs all established infection control policies including standard precautions, transmission-based isolation precautions, OSHA standards, safety measures, and proper body mechanics in performance of job.
• Fulfills defined safety protocols (i.e., double identification, various isolation procedures, equipment maintenance and cleaning, etc.).
• Completes required education assignments annually.
• Works toward achieving goals and objectives, and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.

Position Summary - ER Specific

The ER-specific Patient Care Support Assistant functions as a specialized direct patient caregiver in the Emergency Department, performing tasks to assist nurses and providers. This position enters and updates the ED tracking board promptly to communicate with staff and completes all items/activities as assigned on “TECH CHECKLIST of DAILY ACTIVITIES” as applicable.

Transporter

The Transporter transports patients to and from destinations. This position accommodates varying degrees of complexity such as the use of oxygen, proper isolation precautions, CPR, lifting and transfer techniques, etc., along with the effective use of equipment such as wheelchairs, stretchers, and beds.

Minimum Education and Experience

None specified; this is an internship for high school students 16 years of age or older who are enrolled in healthcare courses and intending to pursue a career in healthcare. Individuals remain eligible for the role until July 15th of the year of high school graduation. Those who are 17 at the time of graduation may remain in the role until their 18th birthday.

Licensure Requirement

None.