Patient Care Technical Associate

About the role

Mission Statement: Michigan Medicine improves the health of patients, populations and communities through excellence in education, patient care, community service, research and technology development, and through leadership activities in Michigan, nationally and internationally. Our mission is guided by our Strategic Principles and has three critical components; patient care, education and research that together enhance our contribution to society.

Responsibilities

• Observation/Monitoring
  • Obtains vital signs, temperature, height/length, weight, oxygen saturation and pain scores; reports abnormal values to RN.
    • Obtains other measurements (i.e., head circumference, abdominal girth) per unit standard.
    • Responds to monitor alarms.
      • Utilizes palpation/auscultation and Doppler to determine heart rate and blood pressure.
      • Observes, monitors and reports the overt physical condition of assigned patient(s).
        • Responds to physiologic monitor alarms based on unit training and competencies.
        • Alerms should be silenced or paused prior to an activity that will trigger an alarm such as bathing, drawing blood or getting a patient out of bed as delegated by RN.
        • Ensures that alarms are "on" when activity is completed and/or before leaving the patient.
        • Measures and records intake and output.
        • Functions as a sitter.
        • Assists physician/provider during diagnostic procedures; assists and supports patient before and during procedures; assists in specimen collection.
        • Applies and changes ECG electrodes and pulse ox probe; attaches patient to travel (ECG and A-line) monitor.
        • Places monitor strips on inpatient records.
        • Specimen Collection
          • Performs point of care testing; maintains and calibrates equipment and supplies.
          • Collections blood specimens from arterial, CVP and PIC lines.
          • Collects specimens, including urine, stool, sputum and swabs, and performs urine determination including sugar, acetone, specific gravity protein, pH.
          • Performs finger/heel stick blood collection and chemstick test.
          • Initiates, maintains and records 24-hour urine collection.
          • Transports blood and laboratory specimens.
          • Intravenous Lines
            • Discontinues peripheral IV's.
            • Removes peripheral IV dressings.
            • Primes peripheral (without additives) and central/pressure heparin set-ups (after bag spiked by RN); times and dates bag/tubing per policy.