Patient Care Technician - Med/Surg - Full Time Days

About the Role

Our team members are the heart of what makes us better. At Hackensack Meridian Health, we help our patients live better, healthier lives—and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning. It’s also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community. Together, we keep getting better—advancing our mission to transform healthcare and serve as a leader of positive change.

Responsibilities

• Functions as a caregiver for a specific patient population to achieve desired outcomes, focusing on expanding knowledge and skills.
• Provides effective direct and indirect care as part of the interdisciplinary team to a variety of complex patients under the direction and supervision of the registered nurse.
• Promotes patient satisfaction, comfort, and safety.
• Assists with a variety of patient, unit, and environment-related tasks.
• Participates in patient safety initiatives.
• Provides patient care based on physical, psychosocial, educational, safety, and related criteria appropriate to the age of patients served.
• Ensures effective and safe patient outcomes through practice, judgment, and critical actions.
• Communicates ongoing patient status and care with patients, nursing colleagues, and other members of the healthcare team.
• Takes self-directed initiative to exceed expectations, improve job performance, and create new opportunities.
• Participates in interdisciplinary collaboration for patient care plans from admission to discharge.
• Engages in Unit/Department Performance Improvement (PI) activities.

Specific Job Functions May Include But Not Limited To:

• Welcomes patients and checks for proper identification bracelets.
• Prepares patients for assessment/admission, physical examination, and procedures.
• Recognizes and responds to opportunities to enhance patient satisfaction.
• Demonstrates knowledge and skill necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of patients on the unit.
• Obtains clinical data (temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, O2 saturation) and documents findings; notifies RN immediately of abnormal results.
• Draws intravenous or capillary blood from newborn through geriatric patients using proper aseptic collection techniques; ensures appropriate labeling and processing of specimens.
• Performs venipuncture for laboratory tests.
• Follows through with designated responsibilities in collecting, labeling, and transporting specimens correctly and promptly.
• Performs EKGs as directed.
• Ensures the presence, functionality, and cleanliness of necessary equipment; checks and maintains code carts, O2, and other emergency medical equipment.
• Applies bandages, slings, compression boots, and hypothermia blankets as directed by RN.
• Assists in transporting patients to departments or units upon request.
• Assists with meal preparation and feeding as needed.
• Checks inventory of assigned area and restocks as directed.
• Ensures room environment is prepared for admission.
• Provides direct hygiene and comfort care (bathing, toileting, oral hygiene, incontinent care, bed making).
• Assists patients with dressing/undressing and manages patient belongings with a completed property checklist.
• Performs and documents glucose finger sticks and collects other specimens as directed.
• Provides post-mortem care.
• Obtains and documents patient weights; observes and documents intake and output.
• Provides a safe patient environment by answering call lights promptly and communicating changes in patient condition to the RN.
• Identifies and addresses the needs of diverse patient populations (age, culture, language, hearing/vision impairments, etc.).
• Communicates with patients, parents, or primary caregivers at their developmental/age, educational, and literacy levels.
• Performs other duties and/or projects as assigned.
• Adheres to HMH organizational competencies and standards of behavior.

Requirements

• High School diploma, general equivalency diploma (GED), or equivalent programs.
• Completion of one of the following:
  • Certified Nursing Assistant, Medical Assistant, or Patient Care Technician program, or
  • Fundamentals of Nursing program from an accredited school of nursing, or
  • HMH PCT Apprenticeship Program, or
  • Equivalent medical background experience (e.g., EMT, Home Health Aide, CMA, MA, PCT, Nursing Assistant).

  Note: Candidates without one of these programs but meeting other requirements may be considered for the HMH PCT Apprentice Program. If selected, the candidate will be hired as a PCT Apprentice and transferred to the Patient Care Technician role upon successful completion of the program.

• AHA Basic Health Care Life Support (HCP) Certification within 60 days of entering the position.
• Ability to learn quickly, adapt to changing patient needs, and demonstrate accountability for improving patient and caregiver lives.
• Strong focus on teamwork, dedication to ongoing education, and passion for delivering high-quality care.

Qualifications (Preferred)

• Experience or certification in phlebotomy, EKG, vital signs, and blood sugar checks.
• At least one (1) year of PCT or CNA experience in a hospital setting (strongly preferred) or eligibility for the HMH PCT Apprentice Program.
• Certified Nursing Assistant, Certified Medical Assistant, or Patient Care Technician with successful completion of a PCT program (including Phlebotomy, EKG, and nursing assistant coursework in both theoretical and clinical settings).

Pay

Minimum starting rate of $20.68 per hour. The posted rate is a reasonable good-faith estimate of the minimum base pay for this role and does not reflect the full value of our market-competitive total rewards package. The starting rate may vary based on labor market data, experience, education, certifications, skills, geographic location, internal equity, budget, and grant funding.

Benefits

HMH offers a comprehensive benefits package for full-time and part-time (20+ hours/week) positions, including:

• Health, dental, and vision coverage.
• Paid leave.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Retirement benefits.
• Performance-based incentives, bonuses, or commissions (for eligible positions).
• Shift differentials for evening, night, or weekend shifts.