Patient Care Technician - Intensive Care Unit * Days - 12hrs/wk

Shift: Days (7a-7p), 0.3 FTE, weekends required, no on-call.

About the role

Under the direction of a Registered Nurse (RN), the Patient Care Technician (PCT) provides basic nursing care to patients and performs related tasks necessary to support the unit.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Must meet one of the following:
  • Current Certified Nurse Aide (CENA) certification, or
  • Current enrollment (and continued progression) in a health science program with completion of nursing fundamentals course and/or one clinical rotation (e.g., Nursing School, Pre-PA School, Medical School, or closely related health science program), or
  • Equivalent experience (e.g., Medical Assistant, Paramedic, Medical First Responder, EMT, Nurse Tech, Resident Aid/Assistant, or LPN).
• Basic understanding of Medical Terminology, Anatomy, Physiology, and Patient Confidentiality preferred.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS/CPR) provider certification.
• Experience in acute care or extended care facility preferred.
• Able to successfully complete unit-specific core competencies as defined in the orientation check-list.

Responsibilities

• Activity / Comfort: Assist patients with activities of daily living, including making occupied and unoccupied beds; turning and positioning patients; ambulating and dangling patients; transferring patients; performing passive and assisting with active range-of-motion exercises.
• Hygiene: Assist patients with hygiene activities.
• Procedures: Provide indwelling urinary catheter care (excluding insertion, removal, and irrigation); change non-sterile dressings; provide ileostomy/colostomy care; assist with postmortem care.
• Nutrition: Assist patients with nutrition, including passing trays, snacks, and drinking water; feeding patients; measuring and recording intake from dietary trays.
• Elimination: Assist patients with elimination needs, recording accurate input and output; empty other drains as designated by the RN.
• Specimen Collection: Collect and label sputum, urine, and stool specimens for laboratory testing; test urine for sugar, acetone, blood, or pH; strain urine for kidney stones; use glucometer to test blood glucose levels.
• Vital Signs / Measurement: Measure and record accurate vital signs and weight, including oral and tympanic temperature, radial and apical pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate; use standing, chair, sling, and bed scales to measure weight.
• Equipment: Use equipment and supplies safely and appropriately, including assisting patients with incentive spirometry; setting up oxygen flow meters; setting up suction equipment and disposing of suction canisters; applying and removing ice bags, moist or dry heat, ace bandages, arm slings, binders, supports, anti-embolism stockings, sequential compression devices (SCDs), and restraints.
• Infection Control: Assist with controlling the spread of infection by using aseptic technique; adhering to universal/standard precautions; caring for patients with special isolation precautions; passing clean linen and bagging soiled linen; replacing full sharps containers; cleaning equipment between patients’ use; cleaning equipment prior to return to Central Processing Department (CPD).
• Documentation: Document care given as directed by the RN.
• Communication: Communicate effectively using Vocera, unit paging system, telephone system, and pneumatic tube system; answer patient call lights; report observations to the RN; keep the RN informed of care delivered; maintain patient confidentiality.
• Perform other duties as assigned, including tasks to facilitate department efficiency, maintain knowledge of department processes, pursue self-directed learning, and participate in committees or work groups as determined by management.