Patient Care Technician - Med-Surg * Nights - 12hrs/wk

About the role

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

Responsibilities

• Assist patients with activity of daily living and provides for patient comfort.
  • Making occupied and unoccupied beds; turning and positioning patients in bed; ambulating and dangling patients; transfers patients; performing passive and assisting with active range-of-motion exercises.
• Aid patients with hygiene activities.
  • This includes bathing, grooming, and personal care activities.
• Perform indwelling urinary catheter care (excluding insertion, removal and irrigation).
  • Changing non-sterile dressings; providing ileostomy/colostomy care; assisting with postmortem care.
• Assist with nutrition including passing trays, snacks and drinking water; feeding patients; and measuring and recording intake from dietary trays.
  • This involves ensuring patients receive appropriate meals and fluids according to their dietary needs.
• Assist patients with elimination needs recording accurate input and output. Empties other drains as designated by the RN.
  • This includes monitoring and documenting bowel movements, urination, and other waste outputs.
• Collects and labels sputum, urine, and stool specimens for laboratory testing; testing urine for sugar, acetone, blood or pH; straining urine for kidney stones; and using the glucometer to test blood glucose levels.
  • Ensures proper specimen collection and documentation.
• Measures and record accurate vital signs and weight including oral and tympanic temperature, radial and apical pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate; and using standing, chair, sling and bed scales to measure weight.
  • Monitors and documents vital signs and weight accurately.
• Uses equipment and supplies safely and appropriately.
  • This includes 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), restraints.
• Assists with controlling the spread of infection by using aseptic technique; adhering to universal/standard precautions; caring appropriately for patients with special isolation precautions; passing clean linen and bagging and disposing of soiled linen; replacing full sharps containers; cleaning equipment between patients’ use; and cleaning equipment prior to return to Central Processing Department (CPD).
  • Prevents the spread of infections through proper handling and disposal of medical waste and equipment cleaning.
• Documents care given as directed by the RN.
  • Records all patient care activities accurately and timely.
• Communicates effectively using Vocera, unit paging system, telephone system and pneumatic tube system; answering patient call lights; reporting observations to the RN; keeping the RN informed of care delivered; maintaining patient confidentiality.
  • Ensures clear communication with patients, staff, and other healthcare providers.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
  • This may include facilitating department efficiency by performing tasks assigned by the Registered Nurse in charge, maintaining a current knowledge base of department processes and procedures, pursuing self-directed learning and continuing education opportunities, and participating on committees, task forces, and work groups as determined by management.

Requirements

• Minimum High School Diploma or GED required.
• Must meet one of the following requirements:
  • Current Certified Nurse Aide (CENA) certification, or
  • Current enrollment (and continued progression) in a health science program required with completion of nursing fundamentals course and/or one clinical rotation preferred.
• Equivalent enrollment considered will include but is not limited to: Nursing School, Pre-PA School, Medical School, or closely related health science program, or Equivalent experience.
• Equivalent experience considered will include but is not limited to: Medical Assistant, Paramedic, Medical First Responder, EMT, Nurse Tech, Resident Aid/Assistant, or LPN.
• Basic understanding of Medical Terminology, Anatomy, Physiology, and Patient Confidentiality is preferred.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS/CPR) provider required.
• Experience in acute care or extended care facility preferred.
• Able to successfully complete unit-specific core competencies as defined in the orientation check-list.